Olympics 2026: Why Didn’t Armenia Send Its Highest-Ranked Alpine Skier?

A change in federation leadership coincided with the inclusion of the new president’s relative in the Olympic roster — even though another athlete had secured the Olympic quota for Armenia.

Armenia’s participation in the alpine skiing program of the 2026 Olympic Games has concluded. Harutyun Harutyunyan finished 59th in the giant slalom and was disqualified in the slalom.

With that, Armenia’s campaign in the alpine disciplines at the Bormio Games came to an end. However, questions remain.

It is important to note: Sportaran’s editorial team was aware of certain circumstances earlier, but this material is being published now — after the Armenian athlete completed his Olympic performances.

We previously reported that Gleb Mosesov was not included in Armenia’s national team.

Who Secured the Quota

The Olympic quota place for Armenia in men’s alpine skiing was earned by Gleb Mosesov. The quota is not personal — any skier meeting the required ranking criteria could compete. However, the choice appeared obvious.

In 2025, Gleb Mosesov:

• Became the first Armenian to qualify for a World Championship final,
• Achieved this in two disciplines — slalom and giant slalom,
• Qualified for the final in 6th place,
• Earned the necessary Olympic points early in the year,
• Trained specifically for the Olympics from the summer onward,
• Prepared in Austria and Switzerland,
• Competed regularly in international events,
• Won the Armenian National Championships in 2024 and 2025.

At the time the Olympic team decision was made, Mosesov had 23 FIS points. Harutyunyan had over 100 (the lower the number, the higher the ranking).

Harutyunyan met the minimum Olympic qualification standard only in January 2026, at the last possible events in Austria. Shortly afterward, he was added to the Olympic roster.

Family Ties and Historical Context

At the same time, leadership changes took place.

Former federation president Gagik Sargsyan stepped down. The new president became Artur Harutyunyan — former head of Tsaghkadzor and a previous federation president (until around 2019).

There was no official public announcement of the appointment, but his status was confirmed by:

• Photos and videos from Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports,
• Confirmation from former president Gagik Sargsyan.

Artur Harutyunyan

It was during this leadership transition that the decision was made to include Harutyun Harutyunyan in the Olympic team.

Artur Harutyunyan is Harutyun Harutyunyan’s uncle. This fact inevitably raises questions about the selection process.

A similar story occurred before the 2018 Olympics. At that time, the federation was also led by Artur Harutyunyan. According to Armenian media, there were attempts to send a relative of the president, but ultimately the quota was awarded to Ashot Karapetyan, who went on to compete. The younger Harutyunyan lacked sufficient ranking points but was reportedly entered into as many events as possible to accumulate them.

That episode was accompanied by a major scandal: Karapetyan reported that he was left without necessary equipment before his starts in PyeongChang, and the National Olympic Committee had to intervene.

Eight years later, Armenian alpine skiing once again finds itself at the center of similar questions.

Lack of Explanation

The key point:

No one officially contacted Mosesov.
The federation provided no public explanation.
Sportaran’s inquiries went unanswered.
During the Olympics, Mosesov continued competing — on February 14, he started at a tournament in Germany.

Later, Mosesov posted a statement on social media:

“In short: I will not compete at the 2026 Olympic Games — this decision was made by the new Ski Federation of Armenia. I am sincerely disappointed, especially after earning 23 points a few days ago. The federation chose another athlete who has over 100 points. I respect the decision, although I believe my results deserved a different outcome. In any case, I will continue training and I am grateful for the support. See you on the slopes.”

The tone is restrained. The disappointment is evident.

Sporting Logic vs. Administrative Decision

In countries with only one quota place, a clear principle usually applies: the athlete with the strongest current results and international ranking goes to the Games.

In this case:

• Mosesov already had the required ranking,
• Mosesov had the higher international ranking,
• Mosesov had consistent international experience,
• Harutyunyan achieved the minimum standard at the last moment.

Formally, the decision was made by the coaching council. However, the coincidence of several factors — leadership change, family ties, and the timing of the roster decision — raises questions that remain unanswered.

Olympic Result

59th place in the giant slalom and a disqualification in slalom — this is Armenia’s official alpine skiing result at the 2026 Olympic Games.

It is impossible to say what the outcome would have been with a different selection. But the discussion concerns not only results, but also transparency and the criteria used in athlete selection.

What’s Next?

Gleb Mosesov continues his international career and pursuit of World Cup level competition.

The federation remains silent.

The main question remains open: will Armenian alpine skiing establish clear, public, and transparent selection criteria to prevent similar situations in the future?

At the time of publication, the editorial team had not received an official comment.