Ara Abrahamian
Encyclopedia
Ara Abrahamian (born 27 July 1975 in Leninakan
, Armenian SSR
, Soviet Union
) is a retired Armenian
-Swedish
wrestler in Greco-Roman wrestling
. He has won two World Championships
in the 76 kg and 84 kg weight classes and a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in the 84 kg weight class.
He also won the bronze match at the 2008 Summer Olympics
and was awarded the medal, but his medal was rejected because of a controversial ruling in the semifinal. During the highly publicised medal ceremony, Abrahamian protested by placing the medal in the center of the mat and walking away. He was later disqualified by the IOC and stripped of his rejected bronze medal for disrupting the award ceremony. He was also banned from wrestling for two years by FILA, but the ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2009.
, Sweden, to compete in the Stockholm Junior Open, which he won. He defected from the Armenian national team and joined the Swedish team in 1998.
.
of Russia
, Abrahamian wrote on his homepage: "The final ended 1-1. That means losing, in case you meet a Russian."
of Italy, he and the Swedish coach Leo Mylläri disputed the judges' ruling. Mylläri accused the judges of corruption because they initially awarded Abrahamian a point, but after the round they assigned the point and the match to Minguzzi because Abrahamian had his hand in the blue zone. Normally, having a hand in the blue zone is not penalized. Minguzzi had almost his whole body in the blue zone earlier in this match. Therefore the Swedes demanded a video review of the match, but the referees refused to review the recording of the incidents nor consider the written Swedish protest.
. He then stepped off the podium and placed the medal in the center of the wrestling mat and left the ceremony. Abrahamian complained later about the corrupt judges and declared that he was retiring from the sport. Abrahamian says that the judges had been bribed, and reminded that the judge through marriage is related to Raphaël Martinetti
, the President of FILA
, the governing body of wrestling.
held a "disciplinary hearing" on Abrahamian after the incident, where it was decided that Abrahamian would be disqualified and excluded from the Olympic Games due to "violating the spirit of fair play". After the hearing, Abrahamian declared to a Swedish newspaper that the FILA
representative stated after 1.5 hours into the hearing that he could not speak English, and he merely read some lines from a paper he had written in French.
also held a hearing based on the request which was issued by Abrahamian and the Swedish Olympic Committee
against the FILA. Preceding the hearing CAS declared in a statement that Abrahamian and the SOC "do not seek from the CAS any particular relief" regarding the ranking of the medals or a review of the IOC decision to exclude Abrahamian from the games.
Following the CAS issued an arbitration strongly criticizing FILA. Not challenging the outcome of the match and the technical judgments, the arbitration stated that the FILA is required to provide an appeal jury capable to deal promptly with the claims of the athletes. Moreover, CAS, concluded that "In any event, FILA did not follow Article 22 properly, if at all, or provide any other appropriate appeal mechanism in this case."
The chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee, Stefan Lindeberg, commented that the decision once and for all shows that FILA did not act correctly and that they did not follow their own rules of fair play.
In February 2009 CAS rejected an appeal requesting reinstatement of the bronze medal.
Gyumri
Gyumri is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia. It is located about 120 km from the capital Yerevan, and, with a population of 168,918 , is the second-largest city in Armenia.The name of the city has been changed many times in history...
, Armenian SSR
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) is a retired Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
-Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
wrestler in Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
. He has won two World Championships
FILA Wrestling World Championships
FILA Wrestling World Championships is the Amateur Wrestling World Championship organized by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles . The men's Greco-Roman tournament began in 1904...
in the 76 kg and 84 kg weight classes and a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in the 84 kg weight class.
He also won the bronze match at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and was awarded the medal, but his medal was rejected because of a controversial ruling in the semifinal. During the highly publicised medal ceremony, Abrahamian protested by placing the medal in the center of the mat and walking away. He was later disqualified by the IOC and stripped of his rejected bronze medal for disrupting the award ceremony. He was also banned from wrestling for two years by FILA, but the ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2009.
Biography
Abrahamian began his wrestling career at the age of eight in Soviet Armenia. He became Armenian junior champion on three occasions. In 1994 he arrived in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, to compete in the Stockholm Junior Open, which he won. He defected from the Armenian national team and joined the Swedish team in 1998.
2000 Summer Olympics
Abrahamian represented Sweden in Greco-Roman Wrestling in the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 69-76 kg weight categoryWrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's Greco-Roman 76 kg
The Men's Greco-Roman 76 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, September 24 to September 26.- Medalists :- Tournament results :...
.
2004 Summer Olympics
Abrahamian's participation in the 2004 Summer Olympics was planned to mark the end of his career, and he was determined to bring home the gold medal. After losing the prolonged final with Alexei MichineAlexei Michine
Aleksey Vladimirovich Mishin is a wrestler from Russia. Mishin won a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling, 84 kg division, at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He is also the 2007 world champion and 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 European champion. His personal trainer is Alexander Tarakanov.-References:*...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Abrahamian wrote on his homepage: "The final ended 1-1. That means losing, in case you meet a Russian."
Semi final
Following a loss in the semi finals of the Greco-Roman 84 kg event at the 2008 Summer Olympics to the eventual winner Andrea MinguzziAndrea Minguzzi
Andrea Minguzzi is an Italian wrestler, who has won a gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics...
of Italy, he and the Swedish coach Leo Mylläri disputed the judges' ruling. Mylläri accused the judges of corruption because they initially awarded Abrahamian a point, but after the round they assigned the point and the match to Minguzzi because Abrahamian had his hand in the blue zone. Normally, having a hand in the blue zone is not penalized. Minguzzi had almost his whole body in the blue zone earlier in this match. Therefore the Swedes demanded a video review of the match, but the referees refused to review the recording of the incidents nor consider the written Swedish protest.
Medal ceremony
Abrahamian returned to the event to compete in the resulting bronze bout and won. After he received his medal at the ceremony, he calmly shook the hand of the presenter and then the hand of the other bronze medal winnerNazmi Avluca
Nazmi Avluca , is a Turkish sports wrestler, who has won several titles at international competitions including four European and two FILA Wrestling World Championships in the Men's Greco-Roman category. He took also part at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, without success until finally winning a bronze...
. He then stepped off the podium and placed the medal in the center of the wrestling mat and left the ceremony. Abrahamian complained later about the corrupt judges and declared that he was retiring from the sport. Abrahamian says that the judges had been bribed, and reminded that the judge through marriage is related to Raphaël Martinetti
Raphaël Martinetti
Raphaël Martinetti is a Swiss businessman and the current President of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles . He was elected to this position in 2002, succeeding Milan Ercegan from Yugoslavia. Previously, Martinetti was head of the FILA officiating committee and served on the...
, the President of FILA
International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, also known in French as Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées , is an international wrestling federation that holds events around the world. It is the governing body of international amateur wrestling...
, the governing body of wrestling.
IOC hearing
The International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
held a "disciplinary hearing" on Abrahamian after the incident, where it was decided that Abrahamian would be disqualified and excluded from the Olympic Games due to "violating the spirit of fair play". After the hearing, Abrahamian declared to a Swedish newspaper that the FILA
International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, also known in French as Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées , is an international wrestling federation that holds events around the world. It is the governing body of international amateur wrestling...
representative stated after 1.5 hours into the hearing that he could not speak English, and he merely read some lines from a paper he had written in French.
CAS hearing
The Court of Arbitration for SportCourt of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
also held a hearing based on the request which was issued by Abrahamian and the Swedish Olympic Committee
Swedish Olympic Committee
The Swedish Olympic Committee is the Swedish National Olympic Committee . The Swedish Olympic Committee organize the Swedish participation in the Olympics, choose the participants and run the "Elitprogrammet".The committee has 35 Olympic national federations members and 12 by the IOC national...
against the FILA. Preceding the hearing CAS declared in a statement that Abrahamian and the SOC "do not seek from the CAS any particular relief" regarding the ranking of the medals or a review of the IOC decision to exclude Abrahamian from the games.
Following the CAS issued an arbitration strongly criticizing FILA. Not challenging the outcome of the match and the technical judgments, the arbitration stated that the FILA is required to provide an appeal jury capable to deal promptly with the claims of the athletes. Moreover, CAS, concluded that "In any event, FILA did not follow Article 22 properly, if at all, or provide any other appropriate appeal mechanism in this case."
The chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee, Stefan Lindeberg, commented that the decision once and for all shows that FILA did not act correctly and that they did not follow their own rules of fair play.
In February 2009 CAS rejected an appeal requesting reinstatement of the bronze medal.
FILA verdict
On November 6, 2008, FILA published the verdicts of their investigation, in which they suspended Abrahamian and coach Myllari for two years, and banned Sweden's wrestling federation from hosting international events for the same duration. Money fines were also issued to all three parties. In their statement FILA justified the verdict with Abrahamian's "scandalous behavior" and "serious lack of Olympic spirit". They also declared that "the coach has been judged equally guilty since he did not intervene to calm his wrestler" and that "the federation was responsible for the behavior of its members, the wrestler and the coach, which was reprehensible". They also stated that the decision by the judges in the disputed bout was made according to the rules.Freed from ban
In March 2009 the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned FILA's ban on Abrahamian. On August 27, 2009 it was revealed that Abrahamian was free to continue wrestling and that he would not be banned at all for his actions during the medal ceremony and that he does not have to pay any fine to FILA and there will be no obstacle for the Swedish wrestling organization to host tournaments in the future.Major achievements
| Year | Meet | Venue | Age group | Weight class (kg) |
Competing for | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | European Championships | Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Juniors | 74.0 | 7th | |
| 1996 | European Championships | Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
Seniors | 74.0 | 12th | |
| 1998 | World Championships 1998 FILA Wrestling World Championships The following is the final results of the 1998 FILA Wrestling World Championships. Men's Freestyle competition were held in Tehran, Iran. Men's Greco-Roman competition were held in Gävle, Sweden and Women's competition were held in Poznań, Poland.-Medal table:... |
Gävle Gävle Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Seniors | 85.0 | 17th | |
| 1999 | World Championships 1999 FILA Wrestling World Championships The following is the final results of the 1999 FILA Wrestling World Championships. Men's Freestyle competition were held in Ankara, Turkey. Men's Greco-Roman competition were held in Athens, Greece and Women's competition were held in Boden, Sweden.... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Seniors | 76.0 | 7th | |
| 2000 | European Championships | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Seniors | 76.0 | 6th | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics took place in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which are further divided into different weight categories. The freestyle competitions were held from September 28 to October 1, and the... |
Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Seniors | 76.0 | 6th | |
| 2001 | European Championships | Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Seniors | 76.0 | 2nd | |
| 2001 | World Championships 2001 FILA Wrestling World Championships The following is the final results of the 2001 FILA Wrestling World Championships. Freestyle competition were held in Sofia, Bulgaria and Greco-Roman competition were held in Patras, Greece.-Medal table:-Team ranking:- Men's freestyle:... |
Patras Patras Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Seniors | 76.0 | 1st | |
| 2002 | European Championships | Seinäjoki Seinäjoki Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 2nd | |
| 2002 | World Championships 2002 FILA Wrestling World Championships The following are the final results of the 2002 FILA Wrestling World Championships. The Men's Freestyle Competition was held in Tehran, Iran, while the Men's Greco-Roman Competition was staged in Moscow, Russia and the Women's Competition in Chalcis, Greece.... |
Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 1st | |
| 2003 | World Championships 2003 FILA Wrestling World Championships The following is the final results of the 2003 FILA Wrestling World Championships. The Freestyle Competition was held in New York City, United States, while the Greco-Roman Competition was held in Créteil, France.-Medal table:-Team ranking:... |
Créteil Créteil -Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 2nd | |
| 2004 | Olympic Games Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall and was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which are further divided into different weight categories. Men competed in both disciplines whereas women only took part in the Freestyle event with 18... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 2nd | |
| 2006 | World Championships 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships The 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships were held at the Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou, China. The event took place from September 25 to October 1, 2006.-Medal table:-Team ranking:-Men's freestyle:-Men's Greco-Roman:-Women's freestyle:... |
Guangzhou Guangzhou Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 8th | |
| 2007 | World Championships 2007 FILA Wrestling World Championships The 2007 FILA Wrestling World Championships were held at the Heydar Aliyev Sport & Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event took place from September 17 to September 23, 2007.-Medal table:-Team ranking:-Men's freestyle:-Men's Greco-Roman:... |
Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal... , Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 5th | |
| 2008 | European Championships | Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 3rd | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics Wrestling competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, were held at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium from August 12–21, 2008. It was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which are further divided into different weight categories... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Seniors | 84.0 | 3rd, later Disqualified |
External links
- Ara Abrahamian, official website
- Ara Abrahamian, profile at the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
website