Artur Davtyan becomes two-time world champion and sets historic age record at 34

Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan has won a gold medal at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, which concluded on October 25 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The 34-year-old athlete claimed victory in the men's vault final with a score of 14.850 points, securing his second world championship title.

Davtyan delivered an outstanding performance in the final, scoring 14.800 points on his first vault and 14.900 on his second. His average score was enough to comfortably secure first place.

Great Britain's Jake Jarman claimed the silver medal with 14.650 points, while Norway's Sebastian Sponevik took bronze with a score of 14.366.

Men's vault final results at the 2026 World Championships

1. Artur Davtyan (Armenia) — 14.850

2. Jake Jarman (Great Britain) — 14.650

3. Sebastian Sponevik (Norway) — 14.366

Artur Davtyan sets historic age record

Davtyan's victory in Rotterdam was particularly special for another reason. At the age of 34, the Armenian athlete became the oldest men's artistic gymnastics world champion in history.

The previous age record belonged to North Korea's Ri Se Gwang, who won the world title on the same apparatus at the 2018 World Championships in Doha. The North Korean gymnast was 33 years and nine months old when he claimed gold.

Davtyan has therefore not only reclaimed his title as the world's best vault gymnast but has also written his name into the history of international artistic gymnastics.

Davtyan first became a world champion in 2022 at the World Championships in Liverpool. The Armenian gymnast is also a silver medalist from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and a bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics.

Davtyan's gold was Armenia's fourth medal at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. Earlier, Hamlet Manukyan won the world title on pommel horse, Mamikon Khachatryan claimed bronze on the same apparatus, and Artur Avetisyan finished third on still rings.

Armenia therefore concluded the World Championships with four medals — two gold and two bronze.