Benur Pashayan ( hy, Բենուր Փաշայան; 13 February 1959 – 13 December 2019) was a Soviet Armenian

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...

wrestler. He was a two-time World, European, and Soviet Champion. Pashayan also won a gold medal at the 1984 Friendship Games during the Olympic boycott.

Biography

Benur Pashayan was born on 13 February 1959 in the village of Azavret within the

Akhalkalak Akhalkalaki ( ka, ახალქალაქი, tr; hy, Ախալքալաք / Նոր-Քաղաք, translit=Axalk’alak’ / Nor-K’aġak’) is a town in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe–Javakheti and the administrative centre of the Ak ...

region of the Georgian SSR. He began

Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling (Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mod ...

in Yerevan under the direction of Albert Mnatsakanyan and Harutyun Khachatryan. In 1977 and 1979 he became the Junior World Champion. Pashayan was a

1981 Summer Universiade The 1981 Summer Universiade, also known as the XI Summer Universiade, took place in Bucharest, Romania. The events were watched by 200,000 spectators. Sports * * * * * * * * * * Medal table External links Universiada 81-TVR {{Univer ...

Champion, a two-time European Champion, having won consecutive gold medals at the 1981 and 1982

European Wrestling Championships The European Wrestling Championships is the second oldest international wrestling competition of the modern world and the main wrestling championships in Europe. It predates World Wrestling Championships and other regional wrestling championship ...

, and a two-time and reigning World Champion, having also won consecutive gold medals at the

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

and

1983 World Wrestling Championships The 1983 World Wrestling Championships were held in Kyiv, Soviet Union, in three amateur wrestling styles, recognized by FILA. Greco-Roman style wrestling competition was contested 22–25 September, freestyle wrestlers competed 26–29 September ...

. For 1983, he was recognized by the FILA as the best Greco-Roman wrestler. Having been ranked first in his weight class the past two years, he was the gold medal favorite of the Greco-Roman flyweight (52 kg) division at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

. However, because of the

1984 Summer Olympics boycott The boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles followed four years after the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The boycott involved 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union, which initiate ...

, Pashayan was denied participation. Instead, he and the other Soviet and Soviet-affiliated athletes competed at the 1984 Friendship Games. Benur won a gold medal in wrestling at the Games. He later participated at the Grand Prix of Germany in 1984 and 1985, having previously won the competition in 1982. Pashayan came in first place every time at the contest. He retired in 1985, undefeated in international competition. From 1986 to 1989 he was the coach in Soviet Armenia, and in 1989 he graduated from the

Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport ( hy, Հայաստանի ֆիզիկական կուլտուրայի և սպորտի պետական ինստիտուտ) is a higher educational institution institute, located in Yerevan, Armenia ...

. Pashayan later became the President of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia from 1999 to 2000.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pashayan, Benur 1959 births 2019 deaths People from Samtskhe–Javakheti Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport alumni Armenian wrestlers Soviet male sport wrestlers Armenian male sport wrestlers World Wrestling Championships medalists Soviet Armenians Universiade medalists in wrestling Universiade gold medalists for the Soviet Union European Wrestling Championships medalists Georgian people of Armenian descent Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade