Armenian gymnasts snatch gold, silver at European Championships

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian gymnasts Harutyun Merdinyan and Artur Davtyan won gold and silver medals, respectively, on the final day of the European Championships on Sunday, August 21, the country’s Gymnastics Federation said.

The 38-year-old Merdinyan regained the European title on pommel horse that he first earned in 2016. His other top results earlier in his lengthy career included second at the 2015 Europeans, third at the 2015 Worlds, third at the 2017 Europeans, fifth at the 2017 Worlds and seventh at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Merdinyan said he owes his achievement-filled longevity to persistence, International Gymnast reports.

“I don’t know how I’m doing it, but I’m always trying to stay in shape and I go for it,” he said. “It pays off.”

Davtyan, meanwhile, won silver title on the vault after recording an average score of 14.983 to tie for the top spot with English gymnast Jake Jarman, who was awarded gold based on achieving the highest individual score, The Mail revealed.

Vahagn Davtyan and Artur Avetisyan came fourth and eighth on the rings, while Gagik Khachiyan secured a chance to participate in the World Championships.