Armenian gymnast Hamlet Manukyan is a teenage pommel horse prodigy taking on the world, and succeeding abundantly.

Manukyan, who will turn 19 on August 22, already holds major titles as European champion, World Cup series overall winner, five-time World Cup gold medalist, World University Games champion and finalist in his world championships debut last year.

One medal in his collection shines brightest for Manukyan, whose Shakespearian given name is actually an homage to his grandfather also named Hamlet.

“All medals are very important and very valuable for me, but I will single out the 2025 European Championships where I was able to win,” Manuykan told International Gymnast Online this week. “Now we are preparing for the European Championships (in Zagreb in August). We are refining the routines, but the coaches will tell us what program we should perform.”

Pommel horse has long been Manukyan’s forté since impressing coaches as a youngster.

“When I did (pommel horse), they noticed I worked well on this apparatus,” he said.

Hamlet Manukyan, ARM, after the pommel horse final at 2025 Europeans in Leipzig

Manukyan’s mastery on perhaps the most difficult piece, however, belies the unique challenges it presents to him. He is also accomplished on other apparatuses, placing sixth all-around, and first on pommel horse and still rings, at the 2023 Junior World Championships in Antalya.

“All apparatuses have their difficulties, and the pommel horse also has its own peculiarities,” said Manukyan, who is coached by Hakob Serobian and Hayk Nazarian.

Manukyan and Mamikon Khachatryan – his senior by six months who claimed silver on pommel horse at last year’s Worlds and Europeans – are infusing vital youth to the seasoned Armenian team that includes 37-year-old Vahagn Davtyan, 33-year-old Artur Davtyan and 28-year-old Artur Avetisyan, among other older gymnasts.

Vahagn Davtyan, the 2024 World Cup series overall winner on still rings, was a finalist on that apparatus at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as well as the 2015, 2018, 2022 and 2023 Worlds.

Four-time Olympian Artur Davtyan is a two-time Olympic vault medalist and a world championships gold and silver medalist on vault. He earned four consecutive World Cup overall vault titles from 2022-25, and ranked second in this year’s series.

Avetisyan, who took the overall crown on still rings in this year’s World Cup series, claimed silver on that apparatus at the 2016 Europeans and bronze at the 2025 Europeans. He was a finalist on still rings at the 2022 and 2023 Worlds.

Manukyan credits his elder teammates for inspiring the squad’s younger members, himself – already their competitive equal – included.

“We learn a lot from them and they help us a lot, for which we are very grateful to them,” Manukyan told International Gymnast Online.

International Gymnast Online’s other features on Armenian gymnasts include:

• Armenia’s Artur Davtyan vaults to fifth consecutive gold at World Cup of Cairo
• Armenia’s Davtyan on world vault gold: ‘It is thanks to our coaches and our unity’
• Armenia’s Artur Davtyan: ‘The landings basically decided everything’
• Vahagn Davtyan’s vow: ‘to work on myself more and more’
• Armenia’s Vahagn Davtyan and Artur Davtyan team up for two golds at World Cup of Doha
• Armenia and Ukraine win double gold at World Cup of Cairo