JudoInside – News – Former world ranked number one Arman Adamian derailed

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has affected the lives of many people in Ukraine as well as in Russia. Athletes are no exception. Ukrainian athletes have no choice but to train abroad now and Russian athletes are, for the most part, not competing at all.

Some of them are seeing their careers derailed just as they are peaking. Arman Adamian, Russian’s very capable U100kg player is an example of this.

Adamian’s last three IJF competitions before the war happened were the 2021 Zagreb Grand Prix, 2021 Paris Grand Slam and 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. In all three events, he won gold and ended the year in first place in the IJF World Ranking. At only 25 years of age, Adamian was in his prime when his judo competition career was sidetracked by the war.

How long this war will last and how long it will be before Russian athletes like him can compete is anybody’s guess.