Press Conference in Yerevan: Harutyunyan and Kurginyan Open Up About the Future

The head coach of the Armenian freestyle wrestling team, Abetnak Kurginyan, and the 2025 World Championship bronze medalist, Arsen Harutyunyan, spoke at a press conference in Yerevan and answered questions from journalists.

It should be reminded that Armenia’s national team finished the World Championship with one medal — a bronze in the 57 kg weight category won by the 25-year-old Harutyunyan. In Zagreb, he claimed an impressive victory over the tournament’s main favorite, Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee (USA), but lost in the semifinals to a representative of North Korea.

“I was in excellent shape for this tournament. I can say it was the best form of my career. Everything was perfect: weight cut, physical condition, mindset. I fell just short of winning the title, but I will continue to work hard to one day become a world champion. The Olympic Games are my main dream, which is why I’m staying in the 57 kg weight class. After Los Angeles 2028, I plan to move up to 65 kg, provided the Olympic weight classes don’t change. I can confidently say that the peak of my career is still ahead. Until the age of 32 I will definitely be at my best, and afterwards I’ll keep competing as long as I can. I pay great attention to my nutrition and my body; I have a doctor and a dietitian to extend my career. So the 2028 Olympics will not be my last chance,” said Arsen Harutyunyan.

Head coach Abetnak Kurginyan emphasized that Harutyunyan will continue competing in the 57 kg weight class at World Championships, but in the 61 kg category at European Championships and other tournaments.

Kurginyan also added that he did not expect big results at the 2025 World Championships:
“In Armenia today, there is no proper competition in the weight classes. The national adult championship does not attract enough participants — mostly juniors and young wrestlers compete. For Zagreb, I only wanted to take three wrestlers: Harutyunyan, Tevanyan, and Andreasyan. The others were not ready yet, but in the end, we went with five athletes. We also see serious problems with the number of qualified youth coaches. We must work on this to create strong competition inside the country. Without that, we cannot progress. Right now, Asian countries are the leaders, and in our current situation, it is difficult for us to keep up with them.”

Answering a question about the team’s future plans, Kurginyan said the squad is preparing for the U23 World Championship, which will take place in mid-October in Serbia:
“Our budget has run out, and we will ask the state for additional funding in order to participate in this tournament.”