Georgia: Levan Tediashvili, one of the most distinguished sportsmen in the history of Georgian and world wrestling, passed away on February 17, 2024, at the age of 75. The Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports expressed deep sorrow over his death and sent condolences to his family, friends, and relatives.
Tediashvili was a two-time Olympic champion, four-time world champion, three-time European champion, and a World Cup winner in freestyle wrestling. He competed in three different weight categories and remained undefeated between 1971 and 1976. He also won a world title in sambo, a martial art that originated in the Soviet Union.
Tediashvili was born in 1948 in Sagarejo, a town in eastern Georgia. He started wrestling at the age of 14 and soon joined the Gantiadi club in Tbilisi, where he trained under the guidance of coach Vakhtang Balavadze. He made his international debut in 1971, winning the world championship in the 82 kg class in Sofia, Bulgaria. He repeated his success in the next three world championships, moving up to the 90 kg class. He also won gold medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, defeating American brothers John and Ben Peterson in the finals.
In 1978, Tediashvili moved up to the 100 kg class and won a silver medal at the world championship in Mexico City, losing to Iranian wrestler Ali Reza Soleimani. This was his only defeat in his international career, which spanned over a decade. He retired from wrestling in 1980, after winning his third Soviet title.
Tediashvili was widely regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, with a versatile and creative style that combined speed, strength, agility, and intelligence. He was also known for his sportsmanship and charisma, earning respect and admiration from his opponents and fans alike. He was honored with numerous awards and titles, including the Order of Lenin, the highest civilian decoration in the Soviet Union, the Order of Excellence, the Order of Honor, the Order of the International Olympic Committee, the Order of the International Wrestling Federation, the Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi and the Meritorious Master of Sport of the Soviet Union. He was also selected among the Soviet Union’s top ten athletes of the year in 1973 by the Federation of Sports Journalists of the USSR.
Besides being a great athlete, Tediashvili was also a great actor. He starred in two Georgian films, playing historical heroes. In 1987, he played the role of Khareba, a 19th-century Georgian rebel leader, in the film “Khareba and Gogia”, directed by Giorgi Shengelaya. In 2021, he played the role of Kakhi, a former wrestling champion who travels to New York to help his son, in the film “Brighton 4th”, directed by Levan Koguashvili. His performance in the latter film was acclaimed by critics and audiences, and he won the Best Actor award at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and the Outstanding Individual Performance award at the FilmFestival Cottbus 2021.
Tediashvili was also a patriot and a politician. He fought in the Abkhazian War in the early 1990s, along with his son, who was killed in the conflict. He later became a member of the 4th and 5th Invitational Parliaments, representing a district of Kakheti, his native region. He was also involved in various social and cultural activities, promoting wrestling and supporting young athletes.
Tediashvili’s death is a huge loss for the Georgian and world wrestling community, as well as for the Georgian nation. He will be remembered as a legend, a hero, and a role model for generations to come.
