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At the recent IOC International Athlete Forum, which considered the issue of admitting athletes from Russia and Belarus to international tournaments, the former Greco-Roman wrestler Arsen Julfalakyan spoke most clearly. Sports tells the story of an Armenian who, with all sincerity, challenged discrimination against Russians and Belarusians in sports.
The athletes who spoke at the forum – current and former – were generally divided into three camps. The first is those who are members of the relevant IOC commission. Its leader, former Finnish hockey player Emma Terho, ex-biathlete from France Martin Fourcade and a number of other athletes, sometimes looking at a pre-written text, voiced theses that generally coincided with the recommendations set out on the IOC website for the performances of Russians and Belarusians in a neutral status, and See also “questions and answers” on this topic.
The second camp is Ukrainian athletes. There were two of them. They tried to explain why Russians and Belarusians should not be allowed to participate in international tournaments even in a neutral status. “We don’t understand what it is,” they said, and here you can even agree with them on some points. We don’t really understand either: a number of criteria for this neutrality are extremely vague, for example, in terms of financing. And with regard to the Olympic Games, the IOC has not yet formulated these criteria at all. But then the Ukrainians proposed that if any of the Russian athletes were allowed to participate in the Olympics, then only as part of the refugee team, and on the condition that they leave their country. Comments, as they say, are unnecessary.
More precisely, they could have been given by Elena Isinbaeva, who remained to work as a representative of Russia on the IOC commission. The latter is important: if you find a list of members of this commission on the organization’s website and click on the name of the two-time Olympic champion in pole vaulting, you can see both the Russian flag and the abbreviation RUS. But Isinbayeva was not noticed at the athletes’ forum in Lausanne, although, unlike the athlete from Yemen who performed there, she did not have to wait a month for a visa. From the Canary Islands to Switzerland it seems that the path is not very difficult.
Therefore, the Russians at the forum were supported by a third group — several people who tried to wholeheartedly convey to the meeting the idea that athletes from any countries, including those that are engaged in military operations, should not be punished for the actions of politicians. These were representatives, for example, of African states who emphasized that they knew what war was like. The moderator was about to end the forum session on the issue of admitting athletes from Russia and Belarus, but her attention was drawn to a young man in a green sweater, who was eager to speak. “You will be the last speaker,” she said, and then even invited him to the podium.
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“I want to see as many people as possible,” he began. “My name is Arsen Julfalakyan, I represent the United World of Wrestling, Chairman of the Athletes’ Commission, PhD (Candidate of Sciences), world champion, Olympic silver medalist. It’s very hard for me to say, I honestly , was not going to speak here, but after all this discussion I could not sit back and remain silent.
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I am from Armenia, and now there is a war in my country. 120 thousand Armenians are leaving their homes, their historical land. We have killed a large number of people. Officially, we don't even know how much. But I don’t want to talk too much about this and make you upset. I wanted to share this information with colleagues from Ukraine and other countries so that you understand how clearly I understand the situation. I hate war, it happened to me, and I know what it is. I feel it on my skin. It's very difficult for me to control myself. They say men don't cry and you have no idea how I feel. I try to smile so as not to show what is happening inside me. I am very sorry that I, so strong and famous, cannot do anything to stop the war with Azerbaijan in my country and help my compatriots.
What I want to convey to all of you, very famous people in your countries, to the IOC President. Don't ban sports. Put pressure on the governments of your countries, on the politicians who are waging wars. But don't punish athletes who have no other profession. They asked me: have you contacted Ukrainian athletes? Yes, I talked to many athletes from Ukraine, because I have friends there. I spent many years in Ukraine, it is a country very close to me. The same applies to Russia. I communicated with athletes from both Russia and Belarus. And I know how they suffer — athletes from all these countries. From my country, from African countries…
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My other message: can you imagine what will happen if you “ban” all young athletes? What will remain for them — only crime? What else will they do? Western countries have “banned” education, banned culture. Now the sport will be “banned”. What will happen to the future generation? How will we look them in the eyes after this? How will I explain to my comrades and colleagues why they are prohibited from competing?
A week ago, the World Wrestling Championships took place in Serbia. A lot of Russians and Belarusians performed there — under the flags of other countries: Albania, Macedonia, Slovenia. They competed with the Ukrainians, and we didn’t have a single conflict. We also had athletes in a neutral status. Armenians and Azerbaijanis fought on the same mat. At that moment there was a war going on. How to explain why Armenian and Azerbaijani athletes can fight with each other, but Russian and Ukrainian ones cannot?
Sport is not a battlefield. Sport should be an island of peace, an opportunity through which we can build bridges. Yes, it may sound idealized, but if we destroy this island too, we may not find any solution at all. We need to put pressure on politicians, but not on athletes. They have no other profession other than sports. If we destroy their dream, how will we explain it to them later?
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The representative of Germany noted earlier that we must understand why we are doing this. I want to say: how do we explain to women why we prohibit them from speaking if they have nothing to do with the war? Yes, if athletes are involved in wars, if they are guilty of something, in all countries, we must punish them. And for this we have IOC recommendations. But why punish athletes who are innocent of anything, who do not understand politics, who cannot even vote in elections because one of them is under 18 years old? But we punish everyone. And in my opinion, this is unfair. Think about it. Once again I appeal to everyone, and to Mr. President of the IOC: put pressure on politicians to stop wars! «
Who is this Armenian who stood up for Russians and Belarusians with such soul? Arsen is a representative of a glorious wrestling dynasty. Father Levon Julfalakyan was one of the leaders of the USSR Greco-Roman wrestling team, which confidently dominated the world stage. The athlete won gold medals at the World and European Championships, and in 1988 won the Olympics in Seoul. Moreover, in the final fight the athlete defeated the owner of the mat, which was doubly difficult than against any other opponent. After finishing his career, Julfalakyan Sr. headed the Armenian Greco-Roman wrestling team for 20 years, was a member of the leadership of the country’s National Olympic Committee and the Wrestling Federation of Armenia. He is highly respected by his colleagues.
The son worthily and successfully continued his father’s work. Arsen also has victories at the World and European Championships, and in 2012 he was close to winning the Olympics in London. But in the final, the athlete lost in a bitter struggle to the current world champion, Russian Roman Vlasov. The athlete does not focus only on sports; he is a candidate of historical sciences and in 2018 was elected as a deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia. This step speaks of the man’s integrity: in 2020, he refused his mandate due to disagreement with the policy of the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Government of Armenia.
Roman and Arsen, despite the tough confrontation on the carpet, have warm and friendly relations. The Russian appreciates the high level of skill of his colleague. In 2019, he emphasized: “We fought with Arsen many times. For a long time, he was the opponent for me whom I really wanted to defeat. Our meeting in the final of the Olympic Games in London was fateful. It is very valuable for me to meet with this particular wrestler, «To plunge into that atmosphere again. The fight with Arsen is another challenge.» Mikheil Mamiashvili, whom we asked to tell us about the Armenian wrestler.
“For many years, Arsen was one of the world leaders and the adornment of any wrestling tournament. And the great confrontation between two giants — Roman Vlasov and Arsen Julfalakyan — has always been one of the most striking events both at the world championships and at the Olympic Games. He is most worthy, very a well-mannered and highly educated guy. And, as life has shown, a very responsible and objective person. And Arsen openly spoke about those things that are simply called fascism,» Mamiashvili noted.
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“And with his dad Levon, we won the Olympic Games together in Seoul in 1988 as part of the USSR national team,” our interlocutor continued. “We were in the national team together for up to ten years, for sure. And we «We are still friends with him. He is a most brilliant athlete with some kind of manic sense of responsibility. And his brilliant and unconditional victory at the Olympic Games is a logical point of service to his favorite sport, the cause to which he dedicated himself.»
Well, the idea of the hero of “Seventeen Moments of Spring” “the last thing is remembered” is not new, but it is very appropriate here — after all, it gives hope. The Armenian wrestler, having completed the discussion of the main issue in the current world sport at the athletes’ forum on such a strong and touching note, became both the voice of the heart and the voice of reason. Maybe the IOC will still hear him?