Georgia:Â The Georgian judoist team, led by the exceptional performances of Ilia Sulamanidze (-100 kg), Guram Tushishvili (+100 kg), and Lasha Bekauri (-90), secured a record-breaking number of medals on the third day of the European Championship in Zagreb.Â
Sulamanidze and Tushishvili showcased their prowess by reaching the finals, while Bekauri’s resilience earned him a well-deserved bronze.
Ilia Sulamanidze, the winner of the bronze medal of the World Cup and two silver medals at the European Championships, defeated Belgian, Hungarian, and Croatian rivals on the way to the final but, unfortunately, lost to Vazar, the representative of the neutral country, in the match for the gold medal.
Heavyweight Guram Tushishvili took the same path. Olympic silver medalist and world champion defeated Poland, Germany, and a neutral country and qualified for the final, but lost to Japan in the match with neutral athlete Inal Tasoev.
Lasha Bekaur missed the opportunity to reach the quarterfinals against future champion Azerbaijan Elian Hajiev but was given a chance to win a medal in repetition, which was successfully used.Â
Georgian Olympian and European champion defeated French opponent in the bronze semifinals, and in the decisive match, he gained a pure victory against Azerbaijanian Murad Fateev. After the gold and silver at the European Championships, he added third-quality medals to his collection.
Vazha Margvelashvili (-66 kg) celebrated the championship on the first day of the competition, and Ether Liparteliani (-57 kg) finished the performance with a bronze medal. The next day, Tato Grigalashvili (-81 kg) became champion, and Lasha Shavdatuashvili (-73) won the bronze medal.
The Georgian national team, with their outstanding performance and a total of 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals, emerged as the undisputed champions in the overall ranking of men and women, a testament to their skill, determination, and the rich judo tradition of Georgia.
