Armenian weightlifter Garik Karapetyan became a two-time European champion, winning gold at the continental championship in Chișinău in the 109 kg weight category.
The 21-year-old athlete from Armenia outperformed his more experienced compatriot, Simon Martirosyan, winning small gold medals in the snatch (185 kg) and the clean and jerk (226 kg), as well as the overall gold with a total of 411 kg.
Simon Martirosyan claimed the silver medal with 181 kg in the snatch and 225 kg in the clean and jerk, totaling 406 kg. Two failed attempts in the snatch prevented the 28-year-old Olympic medalist from claiming the long-awaited gold. He had deliberately dropped down from the super heavyweight class to 109 kg, but was unable to surpass Karapetyan. Martirosyan has not won at international tournaments since 2019, when he was crowned world and European champion.
The bronze medal went to Romania’s Lauret Rodriguez, with a total of 390 kg (180+210).
Thus, Team Armenia now has 8 major medals at the 2024 European Championship in Chișinău: 1 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze.
2025 European Weightlifting Championships — Penultimate Day Results