Artur Aleksanyan to miss the 2026 competitive season

Armenian sports legend, Olympic champion and four-time Greco-Roman wrestling world champion Artur Aleksanyan will miss the entire 2026 competitive season.

This was announced by Armenia national team head coach Armen Babalaryan.

At the upcoming 2026 European Championships, the 97 kg spot in the team will be taken by 24-year-old Hayk Khloyan, the U23 world champion. At the senior level, Khloyan has already made a statement by finishing second at the ranking tournament in Budapest in 2025.

The 34-year-old Aleksanyan will focus on recovery from injuries throughout 2026. If rehabilitation is successful, he plans to return in 2027 and compete in Olympic qualification tournaments in order to fight for a spot at his fifth Olympic Games, which will take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

The 2026 Senior European Championships will be held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, from April 20 to 26.