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Vetsnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 28 2012
The coach managed to turn us, athletes of different nationalities,
into a single family
Interviewed by Sergey Lazarian, 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.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/sport/31944.html
From: A. Papazian
Sept 28 2012
The coach managed to turn us, athletes of different nationalities,
into a single family
Interviewed by Sergey Lazarian, 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.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/sport/31944.html
From: A. Papazian