Garik Karapetyan celebrated his European championship title for the third time

25 April, 2026

On the day before the end of the European Weightlifting Championships, medals were contested in the men’s 110-kilogram weight category. Georgia’s national team member Irakli Chkheidze was expected to compete, however, the athlete withdrew from taking to the platform, citing a lower back injury. Although Georgian fans were unable to see Irakli Chkheidze on the platform, the competition was far from lacking intense battles.

The battle for the podium unfolded between the representatives of Armenia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Among them, Garik Karapetyan proved the best. After recording the third-best result in the snatch (189), he lifted 226 kilograms in the clean and jerk to take first place, both in the clean and jerk and in the total with 415 kilograms, securing the championship title for the third time in his career.

In the total (414), the silver medal went to Romania’s Luis Manuel Lauret Rodríguez — a weightlifter who, in previous years, had won multiple medals at the Pan American Games and championships representing Cuba. Rodríguez also set a European record in the snatch (195) on the Batumi platform.

Bulgaria’s Hristo Hristov stepped onto the third step of the podium, reaching the bronze medal in the total (412) with second place in the snatch (190) and third place in the clean and jerk (222).

A medal was also claimed by individual neutral athlete Khas Magomed Balaev, who became the silver medalist in the clean and jerk (225).

Following the awarding of the champions and prize winners, the Vice President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, Kakhi Kakhiashvili, presented an award to the President of the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF), Astrit Hasani, as a sign of support for Georgian weightlifting.