There is his dream. There is also this reality, terrible, brutal, violent. And he, Gagik Snjoyan, a French wrestler of Armenian origin, finds himself torn apart. The Olympic Games in Paris, Gagik has thought about it every day for so long… It’s his daily life, “his life”. And the Olympic qualifying tournament (TQO) from Friday April 5, for which he had won his place thanks to his results since the start of the year, could allow him to perhaps realize this project, to touch the Grail in -67kg in Greco-Roman.
But this tournament takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan. And Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict for more than 40 years and the war has been escalating for months. So, last week, during a preparation course for this important deadline, Gagik Snjoyan warned the French management that he would not compete in the TQO. “It’s a disappointment to have to give up, it’s complicated to live with,” he confides. It’s the hardest decision to make in my life. This qualification makes me dream. Struggle is my life. » In complete dismay, the wrestler nevertheless admits: “Initially I made the decision to go to Azerbaijan. I was determined not to change no matter what. »
“My mother didn’t want to understand”
Gagik Snjoyan ended up giving up. “My mother did not want to try to understand what wrestling and qualifying for the Paris Olympics meant to me,” he breathes. She just thought about her son’s safety. When I saw the state she was in, I finally decided to give up on this TQO. ” He did not have a choice.
Yvon Riemer, the general manager of the 2024 unit, knew the context. “We were aware, we had taken all the precautions to ensure that everything went well,” says the former champion. The risks were real but the Azerbaijani federation assured us that there would be no problem. We had even set up a close security organization. Initially, Gagik agreed and then eventually he came under pressure from his family, which is understandable to me. » Before adding: “It’s a shame because Gagik was in great shape…”
Will he get another chance?
This renunciation benefits Mamadassa Sylla, originally from Bagnolet and licensed to the… Bagnolet club. “I feel sorry for him. I didn’t jump to the ceiling when I heard the news, we did a check-up, confides the 30-year-old wrestler. These are the hazards. I believe a lot in destiny. If this chance is offered to me it is not for nothing. If I go to Baku, it’s because I deserved it too. »
Mamadou Sylla and twelve of his teammates in the French team competing in this European TQO in Baku must finish in the first two to qualify for the Games. In case of failure, there will be one last chance to glean the precious Olympic sesame. But we will then have to finish in the top three of the World TQO in Istanbul in May. What if Gagik Snjoyan’s Olympic dream hadn’t completely vanished?
