Date of birth: 19.12.1992, Vardenis
Sport: Judo (73kg weight category)
Family: Married.
Education: Physical Culture and Sport Department, North Ossetian State University
Personal coach: Elbek Aslarov and Ruslan Gasiyev
Motto: “Never give up, and you will see others give up.”
Photo: Mediamax
Hobby: Hiking, mountain trips on cross-country vehicle
On judo: “Many good judokas live in the neighborhood where I grew up, and the gym is right next to our house - you can jump there from the balcony. Our city is very sporty, we have more than 20 Olympic champions.”
Photo: Mediamax
A difficult start: “For the first 2 years, the coach really loaded us with work, and it was so hard that we did not want to go to training. Then, I went to competitions and won, and I was amazed at how good everything could be. All my life I have loved to train and work.”
The unique sport: “Judo forms your personality, makes you an individual. It gives good qualities, respect for elders; it makes you tougher physically and mentally.”
Photo: Mediamax
A key achievement: “The title of European champion I won in 2018 is special. I became the second Armenian champion after more than 10 years. I won 5 fights, and that achievement went down in history because of the order of the flags: I was in the first place, followed by Azerbaijani and Turkish athletes.”
Insecurity: “When I realized that all my competitors were just people like me, I realized I could beat them, and my insecurity faded gradually.”
Photo: Mediamax
Before matches: “I assure myself that I am strong, I am the best, I cannot concede to anyone. I convince myself I have to win.”
Representing Russia and Armenia: “The level of development of judo is much higher in Russia, there are a lot of talented athletes, and you grow when you train with them. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Armenia yet. Nevertheless, Armenia is my homeland, so I am a million times happier to represent it than Russia.”
Photo: Mediamax
Qualifying for the Olympics: “The qualification automatically makes me one of the best in the world, so this is a real opportunity to win a medal. I work hard to make that goal a reality.”
The only judoka: “I want to do a good job so that people know what judo is, love it, start practicing it and lead a healthy lifestyle. Our every victory becomes a source of inspiration for others.”
Returning to roots: “Judo is a Japanese sport, so winning in Tokyo would be so cool.”
Photo: Mediamax
Olympic rings: “They symbolize work, emotions, home, history, and victory.”
The Tokyo Games: “It is an incredible city, and Japan is an amazing country. The people are very kind. Armenians adapt easily everywhere, and Tokyo will be no exception.”
Photo: Mediamax
Armenia’s Olympic team: “We have the best athletes in the world and any of them can win a medal in Tokyo. I hope that all of us will succeed and return home satisfied.”
Winner of 2018 European Championship
Winner of several silver and bronze medals at Grand Prix tournaments
Silver and bronze medalist of Grand Slam
Silver and bronze medalist of European Cup
Hasmik Babayan
Photos: Emin Aristakesyan
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