MOSCOW, August 3 (RAPSI, Yelizaveta Ponomareva) – A suspect in the murder of the two-time European junior freestyle wrestling champion Yury Vlasko has been arrested in Russia’s region of Buryatia, according to the press service of the Investigative Committee.

A 33-year-old suspect admitted his involvement in the sportsman’s death but also claimed that he was defending himself from the wrestler. Investigators, however, doubt this version as it contradicts testimony of witnesses. A court is expected to rule on the suspect’s detention soon.

Investigators believe that on the night of July 28 to 29 several participants of a wrestling tournament in the city of Ulan-Ude arrived at the lake Baikal. There a conflict occurred between sportsmen and local residents leading to Vlasko receiving a lethal knife stab in the chest. An attacker fled the crime scene.