Russia Scoops Its First Gold Medal of the Games in Judo
Published: July 30, 2012 (Issue # 1719)
LONDON — The first Russian gold medal to be won at the Olympic Games in London was won by Arsen Galstyan, a judoka in the weight category of under 60 kilograms, on the very first day of the Olympics on Saturday, June 28.
According to Galstyan, the semi-final, in which he fought Uzbekistan’s Rishod Sobirov, was much more difficult to win than the final against Japanese judoka Hiroaki Hiraoka, in which he got a winning score in the 40th second after the start of the fight.
“I was heading to this victory with the aim of getting only the gold,” Galstyan, 23, said at a press conference held just after his victory at Russia Park House in London. “Of course it was difficult to win, but at the final it got much easier: I managed to catch a submission hold in the first minute and to gain the victory by fall,” he added.
Before the semi-final and final fights, the rivals were very strong, Galstyan said, adding that he didn’t expect an easy victory and was ready to fight to the finish.
Galstyan, who is from the Krasnodar region, dedicated his victory to the recent tragedy in Krymsk, where severe flooding brought about a death toll of more than 170 and left many people without a home.
“I want to share this grief,” Galstyan said. “My medal gave Russia a dignified place, and I want people who suffered in Krymsk not to give up and to know that they can find the strength to move on.”
It is the first time that Russia has won an Olympic gold medal in judo.
“Arsen not only won a gold medal for Russia, he also made a stepping stone for other Russian judoka who will have fights later on at these Olympics,” said Igor Romanov, Galstyan’s coach, who expressed optimism that it would not be the last medal taken home by the Russian judo team from London.
“Arsen was raised in a good team, and he became an international master of sport when he was still studying at a village school,” Romanov said.
Galstyan is from a sporting family: His father is a professional footballer and his two brothers are also judoka. Galstyan has been a member of the national team since 2004.
“My objective was to help him, and a huge amount of work was conducted by all of the coaches,” Romanov said. “This Olympic cycle he worked with a new team [within the national team], and now you can see the result,” he added.
Galstyan promised to stay in London in order to support the Russian judo team.