Ara Abrahamian
Ara Abrahamian | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 27, 1975 Gyumri, Armenia |
| Occupation | Greco-Roman wrestler |
| Years active | 1994–2009 |
| Known for | Two-time World Champion, Olympic silver medalist (2004), controversial bronze medal protest at 2008 Olympics |
Ara Abrahamian (; born 27 July 1975) is a former Greco-Roman wrestler of Armenian-Swedish descent. He achieved two World Championship victories competing in the 76 kg and 84 kg divisions and claimed a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 84 kg category.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Abrahamian earned a bronze medal but refused to accept it following a disputed semifinal decision. In a protest at the medal ceremony, he placed the medal on the mat and walked away. This led to his disqualification by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the revocation of his medal for interrupting the ceremony, resulting in a lifetime ban from Olympic competition. Furthermore, FILA imposed a two-year suspension from wrestling, which was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2009.
Biography
Starting wrestling at age eight in Armenia, Abrahamian became a three-time Armenian junior champion. In 1994, he relocated to Stockholm, Sweden, where he won the Stockholm Junior Open. After defecting from Armenia’s national team, he joined Sweden’s wrestling team in 1998.
2000 Summer Olympics
Abrahamian competed for Sweden in the Greco-Roman Wrestling, 69-76 kg division.
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Games were intended to be Abrahamian’s final competition, with aspirations of securing gold. Having narrowly lost the final to Alexei Michine from Russia, he commented on his website: "The final ended 1-1. That means losing, in case you meet a Russian."
Pelle Svensson, a former two-time world champion and FILA board member, noticed Russian team leader Mikhail Mamiashvili gesturing to the referee during the match. When Svensson questioned Mamiashvili about breaches of rules, he was warned of severe repercussions. Svensson later uncovered proof that the Romanian referee had accepted a bribe exceeding one million Swedish krona.
Semi-final
After being defeated in the semifinals of the Greco-Roman 84 kg event by eventual champion Andrea Minguzzi from Italy, Abrahamian and Swedish coach Leo Mylläri challenged the judges’ decision. They alleged corruption after a point originally given to Abrahamian was revoked because his hand touched the blue zone—a penalty not typically enforced—while Minguzzi had earlier placed most of his body inside that zone without penalty. The Swedish delegation requested a video review and submitted an official protest, both of which were denied by tournament officials.
Medal ceremony
Having won the bronze medal match, Abrahamian participated in the award ceremony where he greeted both the presenter and fellow bronze medalist Nazmi Avluca. However, he then placed his medal on the mat and exited. Abrahamian subsequently accused officials of corruption, claiming bribery and highlighting that one judge had familial connections to Raphaël Martinetti, President of the FILA. He also declared his retirement from competitive wrestling.
IOC hearing
The International Olympic Committee convened a disciplinary session regarding Abrahamian, which led to his disqualification and removal from the Games due to "breaching the spirit of fair play." Abrahamian noted that the FILA representative present at the hearing was unable to communicate in English and merely read from a pre-prepared statement in French. Following this, Abrahamian was handed a lifetime suspension for refusing to issue an apology to the IOC. Neither he nor Chinese wrestler Ma Sanyi received the bronze medal, as no formal award ceremony was conducted.
CAS hearing
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) conducted a hearing after Abrahamian and the Swedish Olympic Committee requested one against FILA. Before the proceedings, CAS clarified that Abrahamian and the SOC "were not seeking any specific remedy" related to medal standings or the IOC's decision to exclude Abrahamian from competition.
The CAS ruling sharply criticized FILA, although it did not challenge the match results or technical rulings. CAS determined that FILA must establish an appeals panel capable of swiftly resolving athletes' disputes. It found that FILA "failed to properly apply Article 22, or to provide any suitable appeal process in this instance."
Stefan Lindeberg, chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee, stated that the ruling confirmed FILA's inadequate adherence to its own principles of fair play.
In February 2009, CAS denied a subsequent appeal aimed at restoring Abrahamian's bronze medal.
FILA verdict
On 6 November 2008, FILA released its findings from the investigation, imposing two-year suspensions on both Abrahamian and his coach Mylläri, while also banning Sweden's wrestling federation from organizing international competitions for the same duration. All three entities were fined. FILA justified these penalties by citing Abrahamian's "unacceptable behavior" and a "serious disregard for Olympic values," holding the coach equally accountable for failing to manage his athlete’s conduct. The federation was held responsible for its members' "unbecoming" actions. FILA additionally confirmed that referees' decisions during the contested match were in accordance with established regulations.
Freed from ban
In March 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned FILA's suspension against Abrahamian. By 27 August 2009, it was officially confirmed that Abrahamian could resume wrestling without any sanctions or fines from FILA, and that the Swedish wrestling federation faced no limitations on hosting future events.
Major achievements
External links
- Official website of Ara Abrahamian (archived)
- Ara Abrahamian's profile on the 2008 Summer Olympics official site
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Sport wrestlers from Gyumri
- Swedish male sport wrestlers
- Armenian male sport wrestlers
- Olympic wrestlers for Sweden
- Wrestlers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Wrestlers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists for Sweden
- Olympic medalists in wrestling
- Competitors stripped of Summer Olympics medals
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Swedish people of Armenian descent
- World Wrestling Champions
- European Wrestling Championships medalists