Alex Maritsas is finally a national armwrestling champion!
After four consecutive years of second and third-place finishes, the Prince George product got to stand on top of the podium twice in Edmonton last weekend, knocking down his opponents to a pair of gold medals from the 2019 Canadian National Championships.
The 34-year-old never yielded in a match against one of the eight other competitors in his 85 kg weight class.
Even more impressive, the Prince George Armwrestling Club member claimed the title of national champion for both the left and right arms.
Maritsas now has his eyes set on the 2019 World Armwrestling Championships, hoping to earn a ticket to Romania before the competition at the end of October.
He plans to go to tournaments in Ontario and California before possibly hopping on that plane to eastern Europe.
When he’s not ripping bicep curls in his living room at home, Maritsas is repping the B.C. Ambulance Service in the city as a local paramedic.
And, he wasn’t the only Prince George contingent at the National tournament.
Dan Gallo earned some hardware himself in Edmonton as the 35-year-old won a silver medal on the right arm and a bronze on the left.
He was entered in the 80 kg weight class.
Jacob Lea earned two silver medals in his 65 kg division, one with his left arm and one with his right.
Brian Gabriel competed in the 110+ kg category, finishing sixth on his right arm and eighth on his left.
All four men train together with the Prince George Armwrestling Club and were among 233 open division participants at this year’s National Championships.
