- David, fans and Europe know of the world champion not so much. Tell, please, about itself.

- I was born on August 1, 1989 in Cherkessk (Karachay-Cherkessia). Hardly I learned to go, houses already struggled with the brother Garnik who is younger than me for a year. I came to wrestling section in 10 years. Before the father took away me on gymnastics that I physically got stronger. There I was engaged about a year. It turned out not bad, even I took prizes. The gymnastics was pleasant to me, but I knew that sooner or later I will be engaged in free-style wrestling. It wasn't discussed at all. The honored trainer of Russia Hizir Cherkesov was my first mentor.

The first sports progress came in 12-13 years. I won superiority of the South of Russia, then I became the bronze prize-winner of junior national championship. In 2005 I took the second place on the Russian superiority which is also selection on superiority of Europe. And next year I became the champion of the country among young men and I won superiority of the continent. During this period we with a family moved to Krasnodar where I train to this day at Abdullah Magomedov, the Avar on a nationality. Krasnodar very international city. Here at me is many friends, including Armenians.

- Your father Ovik Safaryan is the master of sports of the international class in free-style wrestling. You carry on family traditions?

- The father in young years moved to Cherkessk where him invited to wrestling for local sports society "Spartak". There he met my mother Larisa. She was born in Russia, but its roots from Artsakh. The father isn't engaged in trainer's work, but very much loves wrestling. For the weekend comes to the sports hall, we together play rugby. It points to me to mistakes, gives advice. Quite often comes with me to a carpet and shows the crown receptions. Speak, we in something are similar on style of wrestling.

By the way, my brother Garnik too was engaged in wrestling, won competitions, but then left big-time sports and now is engaged in business. Three brothers of the father live in Russia. All of them were engaged in free-style wrestling and, as well as the father, are masters of sports.

- What relations at you with companions on the national team?

- Very close, we perfectly communicate on collecting. In general among wrestlers there is the real brotherhood. I am more and more convinced of it. Not important, who you are and from where. You everywhere will meet, will accept and will help. We too rather closely communicate with wrestlers of the Greek-Roman style. I in very good relations with Roman Amoyan, Arsen Dzhulfalakyan, Artur Aleksanyan. I will tell that classics quieter children. At least the hotel personnel always has more than claims to us, wrestlers. I don't know, than to explain it. Any we violent, too free (laughs)!

- It is a little about your tastes and preferences. How you like to spend free time?

- Very much you are tired on trainings and competitions. Often there is a wish to stay simply in silence and to have a rest. It is a little free time therefore I prefer to spend it with native and friends. If to speak about culinary addictions, I love meat — a chop, a stake. I love soccer, on collecting surely I drive a ball. Because of a busy schedule seldom I get on stadium, I watch matches on TV more often. Very much I like to watch sports meets — big tennis, boxing, etc.

- Whether you intend to establish a family soon? Would like that your son went in the footsteps of the grandfather and the father?

- While I am adjusted on future Olympic cycle, and farther it will be visible. If the son is born, I want that he played sports and what, let itself chooses.

- What you finally would wish to our readers?

- Life in Armenia the hard. I want to wish that people continued to wrestling against difficulties, didn't despond and with optimism looked forward, with hope and belief in God. It especially helps at the difficult moments.

- You often come to native to Armenia?

- In Yerevan live the grandfather with the grandmother and the father's sister. I since the childhood every summer and winter got used to come to the native. In recent years in general I live between two countries. In Krasnodar at me the house, a family. In Armenia I spend much time on collecting, I come on a visit. I am fluent in the Armenian language. Being in Yerevan, I was engaged in wrestling in the Yerevan state sports college of the Olympic reserve at Yury Armenakovich Babayan. Certainly, Russian school of free-style wrestling the best in the world. However in Armenia too very strong school, and it significantly influenced my formation.

- How it turned out, what you started acting under the Armenian flag?

- In 2009 I won first place in competition on Stepan Sargsyan's prize in Vanadzor. There we communicated to the trainer of the national team of Armenia Arayik Bagdatyan with whom we were already familiar. I received the invitation to play for Armenia. I deliberated not for long. The father initially was pro and entirely supported my decision. In 2009 I won the youth championship of Russia and became the silver prize-winner of superiority of the world in this age category. At once me didn't release: the issue of transition to the national team of Armenia was resolved at the level of the sports leaders of our countries with active participation of the head of NOC of RA Gagik Tsarukyan. Together with me under the Armenian flag Gadzhimurad Nurmagomedov and Musa Murtazaliyev began to act. Now I have a dual citizenship.

For Armenia for the first time I fought in the World Cup of 2011. Before I had to sustain biennial "quarantine" when I had no right to act on the international scene owing to transition. This period coincided with serious injuries which the whole 2010 was necessary to heal.

The first serious success came in 2012 when I became the bronze prize-winner of the European championship in Belgrad. Then on rating tournament in Sofia won the Olympic permit to London. Games developed for me unsuccessfully. I was very upset with defeat in quarterfinal wrestling with the Kazakh wrestler. Long I couldn't recover, I took failure very hard. In that wrestling the arbitrator on a carpet awarded in the beginning to me a victory, but the judicial commission cancelled the decision. The moment was disputable, 50х50, however initially it was estimated at my advantage. Today, looking back, I don't want anybody to blame. I am guilty in that defeat.

- What helped to overcome itself and to return on a carpet?

- It was psychologically very heavy though I was adjusted in advance on a new Olympic cycle. Two-three months I couldn't return to the sports hall though thoughts weren't to give up wrestling. In November again I started trainings. The trainer didn't pull me, gave time to recover and have a rest. When I returned, we started working with a blank sheet as though anything and wasn't. The father too strongly supported me, urging not to think of the past and to look forward.

The white strip began with a victory in the championship of Armenia in December, 2012. In 2013 I became the second on tournament in Kiev and went behind a victory to the European championship to Tbilisi where in the final in persistent wrestling I overcame Turk Yakup Gore. It was already our third wrestling, while the score 3:0 in my advantage. And then I went to the World Cup in Budapest.

In the capital of Hungary it was necessary hard, though the European success was given hardly. I approached to a world championship with not healed injury of an edge, and sometimes it was necessary to overcome pain. In Hungary there was a difficult duel with the Russian from Dagestan to which I lost before in the University games final. The meeting of the first circle with the Romanian too developed hardly. Not easy there took place also wrestling with the Georgian wrestler, well and the final duel with the Cuban — the bronze prize-winner of OG-2012 Lebanon Lopez became the heaviest. It appeared very strong rival and I approached to the final unhealthy — there were muscular spasms. It was necessary to suffer and teeth to pull out a victory.

- You carried out victorious reception less than in 30 seconds until the end of wrestling at the score 0:2. How it was succeeded to keep cool?

- I try not to be got on a duel course, to work with the cold head even if I lose and there are only a few seconds. Vanity and haste won't help business. On the contrary, you will fuse and you will precisely lose. Self-checking very much helps me.

- What of two titles is more expensive to you?

- It is difficult to compare these two victories. I very much rejoiced in both cases. The World Cup, of course, more serious on a rank tournament, but a victory in superiority of the continent I became my first great success.

After Budapest us solemnly met at the Zvartnots airport. We arrived at 4 o'clock in the morning, and I didn't think at all that someone will come. I leave sleepy of the plane, and we are met by a heap to the people: fans, journalists, children with whom together we train. Even the president of NOC of RA arrived. About a week I stayed in Yerevan. During this time I received many congratulations, even from strangers on the street.

- David, this year wrestling was under the threat of an exception of the Olympic program. As a result of it kept, but the international federation entered new rules and weight categories. How you apprehended these innovations?

- When after the European championship entered new rules, I first met it watchfully. It was necessary to be reconstructed sharply. But now I will tell that new rules became a breath of fresh air for wrestling. They are pleasant to me much more and completely arrange. Wrestling became more spectacular, wins against the strongest more often. Trample on a carpet in hope for the score 0:0 and further good luck in lot consigned to the past.

Now I should pass from weight category 66 kg into 65 kg. I don't think that there will be problems, a difference small. 70 kg aren't the Olympic category, and 74 kg for me are a bit too much. Perhaps, in any tournaments I will be overcome in category of 70 kg, but the main will be 65 kg.

Vadim Mkrtchyan, "Voice of Armenia"

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