Ruben Aleksanyan (+109) became a bronze medalist of the European Weightlifting Championship ended in Batumi, Georgia.

In the combined event Rumen Aleksanyan lifted 440 kg (195+245). After the snatch the Armenian weightlifter was the 5th and in the clean and jerk he won a small silver medal.

Armenia’s representative, Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist Gor Minasyan ended up 5th with a total of 422 kg (200+222). He succeeded the first attempt of the snatch (200 kg) and deserved a small bronze medal but failed to lift 205 kg in the next two attempts. During the second attempt Minasyan’s leg injury repeated which was also perceptible in the third attempt. In the clean and jerk Gor lifted 222 kg from the first attempt but then couldn’t lift 224 kg and refused from the third one because of the injury.

European champion title was conquered by Rio 2016 Olympic champion Lasha Talakhadze who lifted a total of 478 kg (218+260). The Georgian weightlifter set a record in the snatch, clean and jerk and combined exercise. This weight class competition was the only one during which the tribunes were packed. Georgia’s Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze was watching the competition from the arena.

So, the Armenia team ended its performance at the European Championship with 5 medals in the total event. Olympic silver medalist, current world champion Simon Martirosyan (109 kg) and Hakob Mkrtchyan (89 kg) won European champion titles, Samvel Gasparyan (102 kg) became a silver medalist and David Hovhannisyan (89 kg) and Ruben Aleksanyan (+109 kg) deserved bronze medals. The Armenia team had left for Batumi with 14 weightlifters, 10 men and 4 women.