Interviewed by Sergey Mkrtchyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for VK
Judo wrestler Arsen Galstyan became the first Olympic Champion of the Russian national team at the Games in London. Before his triumph in the UK capital, there were no Russian judo champions. Arsen, performing in the under 60 kg weight category, managed to beat Hiroaki Hiroaka of Japan. The representative of the country where judo originates from lost the match in the 41st second.
Arsen Galstyan was born in the village of Nerkin Karmir Akhpyur in the Shamshadinsky District of Armenia (Tavush Region) on February 19, 1989. The village is located on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and suffered losses during the conflict in the early 1990s. The Galstyan family moved to the Russian city of Maikop in 1997 and then the village of Giaginskaya in Adygeya. Yakub Koblev, founder of the sambo and judo school in Maikop, noted the skinny boy and showed him the way of judo. Arsen started training under the supervision of Igor Romanov. Galstyan lives and trains in Krasnodar today, representing both Russian regions at international competitions. He is also studying at the sports department of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University. Galstyan is considered a national hero in Armenia. He recently visited his native village where a local school has been named after him and met the president of Armenia, the sports minister, the head of the Judo Federation and a VK correspondent.
- Arsen, at what age did you start judo training?
- At the age of 9. It was difficult to choose the discipline. I was split between football and judo. The football addiction comes from my father who was a professional player for various teams. I quit my training twice, but my older brother Tigran convinced me to continue attending the section. Tigran is a sports master, just like my younger brother Arman.
-What was the road to Olympic gold like?
- It took me a long path towards that day, but my dream came true eventually. I was worried about my shoulder and knee injuries before the Olympic Games. I was trying to pay as little attention to pain as possible and concentrate on wrestling. My only goal was to become the first. This is the idea I had every time I was wrestling on tatami. When I was wrestling with a Korean in the quarter-final, I only passed on activity and wrestled with Uzbek Rishod Sobirov in the semi-final. When I used my final technique against the Japanese (number 1 in the rankings), the judges called me the winner. It was an indescribable feeling.
- You returned to Krasnodar from London. How did Kuban welcome the Olympic champion?
- It was great. I was welcomed by several delegations at the airport, officials of Armenian and Adygeyan national public organizations of the region, officials of the Ministry for Physical Education and Sports of Kuban and the regional directorate of the federal service for corrections (Arsen works as a junior inspector of the security section of detention center N1 in the Krasnodar Territory). My parents and brothers, numerous relatives and friends arrived from the village of Giaginskaya, where I grew up. The coach and I were greeted with applause. Actors in Cossack costumes offered bread and salt, friends performed the Armenian national dance with me.
- Besides the official prizes Olympic champions get, how was your victory awarded?
- Yes. Governor of Kuban Alexander Tkachyov paid a prize of 3.5 million rubles. Moreover, the Krasnodar construction company sponsoring me for a long time gave me and my parents two apartments in Krasnodar, as well as a new car.
- The Russian national team in London was a sensation, winning five medals, three of which are golds. What is the reason for such progress?
- Chief coach Ezio Gamba. The Italian specialist has been working with us since 2009. Russia has an international team with representatives of different nationalities. Gamba managed to consolidate us, practically turning us into a family. When you feel a friendly shoulder, it is easier to perform, easier to prepare for victory. This is where our outstanding result comes from.
- Vladimir Putin is interested in judo. Would you like to meet him on tatami?
- We already have. A few years ago on New Year's Eve, the national team was planning to visit Putin. We talked, we had joint training. We wrestled each other once: we shook a little, trained throws. He has very strong hands, by the way. Putin suggested I show a special move. I chose a throw over the back from the knee. That is all. The press exaggerated the episode. It was simple training of judo wrestlers. I am proud that I was training in the same type of sports as the president. Putin said before the London games that he believed in us and we did not let him down.
- Arsen, is there any time left for anything other than judo?
- Hardly. I spend about 300 days a year training and competing. There is not enough time for personal life, as you see. I like to watch movies, listen to nice music in my free time.
- You have reached the top of your career. What next?
- I will have a little break and then start training again. I have not been a world champion yet. Besides, I was to wrestle at the Games of 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. I am young and I have a lot of time.
