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For Stanford wrestler Grigor Cholakyan, the final scoreboard at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, didn't tell the whole story. While a medal wasn't in the cards this time, the experience of representing Armenia for the first time on the world stage proved to be a pivotal moment, providing invaluable lessons that are already reshaping his path forward, both internationally and on The Farm.
"The experience was priceless, to say the least," Cholakyan shared in an exclusive interview with TheZealot, reflecting on his journey just days after the tournament concluded. "Even though I didn't get the results that I wanted, I feel like just training so hard for this event and being able to compete out there... it's one of those things that I'm going to carry with me for the rest of my athletic and professional career."
Competing in the fiercely contested 74 kg freestyle division, the returning NCAA qualifier for Stanford finished with a 1-1 record. But for the Armenian-American rising star, the true victory was found in the lessons learned and the pride of wearing his heritage on his singlet.
Cholakyan’s world championship debut on October 24 was a study in contrasts. He opened his tournament with explosive dominance against Mexico’s Smiley Garcia.
"I knew I wanted to just start off strong cuz I was one of the first people up in the entire tournament for freestyle," Cholakyan explained. He did just that, capitalizing on his opponent’s aggression. "He just walked into two four-pointers that I hit... I kind of almost capitalized on him putting too much pressure into me with two head and arms, and I took him down and and gutted him as well." The result was a swift 12-2 technical superiority victory.
His next match in the 1/8 Final pitted him against Magomed Bashir Khaniev of Azerbaijan. Cholakyan entered the bout confident, viewing his opponent as "tough, but beatable." However, early mistakes proved costly. "I feel like what costed me the match was my mistakes," he admitted candidly, "just going for some dumb moves early costed me four points."
Despite the 14-5 decision loss, Cholakyan found a silver lining in the fight. He recalled a lesson from his coach as he battled back in the later stages. "Coach Ayres always tells us you could feel your opponent melt... and I literally felt this kid melt in my hands," he said. "Even though I ultimately lost, I feel like there’s so much to improve on just off of this match... this match is just a stepping stone to future goals that I have."
This tournament was more than just a competition; it was the realization of a profound personal goal. Before the event, Cholakyan stated, "Representing a nation that has persevered throughout its history gives me strength." Competing under the Armenian flag for the first time brought that sentiment to life.
"It was awesome," he said. "Obviously, it was my first time competing overseas as well."
The experience came with a unique set of challenges beyond the wrestling mat. Cholakyan had to quickly adapt to the ten-hour time difference in Serbia and navigate a new environment to manage his nutrition and weight cut effectively. Being surrounded by the world's elite, however, was the ultimate reward.
"Being surrounded by the best, each nation's best athletes at their respective weight classes and being able to compete alongside them, it was just awesome," he reflected. "I know it's something that I'll be more weathered in going into my next U23 World Championships run next year and hopefully bring home a medal."
When asked about his single most significant takeaway from the high-stakes environment of the World Championships, Cholakyan’s answer was immediate and clear: patience.
"One of the most valuable things I took away was to be more patient in my matches," he stated. "You know, sometimes there's a little opening and I I rush to get some points and that could cost me, just like in the Azerbaijan match. The most important thing I learned is to be more patient and to just wait for there to be a 100% opening."
This newfound strategic maturity, forged in the heat of a world-level loss, is a tool he plans to sharpen as he looks toward his future.
With the U23 World Championships in the rearview mirror, Cholakyan is already channeling its lessons into a new, deliberate plan for his career. His international journey is set to continue with renewed focus.
"It's back to the drawing board and just back to work," he said. "I'll be competing at Armenia Nationals. And then hopefully at the end of the March, I'll be competing at the U23 European championships... that'll be my next event representing Armenia and that'll be in Albania."
Perhaps the biggest development is his plan for the upcoming NCAA season at Stanford. Cholakyan revealed he will be taking a redshirt year for the 2025-26 season.
"I won't be competing in a Stanford singlet and I'll just be using this year to get better as an individual, you know, as an athlete, as a student, just to grow as a person," he explained. "Next year when I'm back, I have a lot of goals that my freshman year I didn't accomplish and I look forward to, you know, being more mature heading into the NCAA season next year and chipping away towards all my goals while wearing a Stanford singlet."
For Grigor Cholakyan, the trip to Serbia was not defined by a single loss, but by the priceless experience gained—a stepping stone that has provided him with a clearer vision and a refined strategy to achieve his ultimate goals on the world stage and in collegiate wrestling.
