Olympic (2012) and European (2013) champion Lasha Shavdatuashvili was close to winning a medal at World Championship. The Georgian judoka (73 kg) lost repechage final and took the fifth place.
Shavdatuashvili held four meetings in the main draw. He beat Marcelo Contini of Brazil by shido, Faye Njie of Gambia and Martin Hojak of Slovenia by ippon. In ¼ final the Georgian judoka fell to Soichi Hashimoto of Japan by shido.
In repechage semifinal Lasha Shavdatuashvili defeated Denis Iartcev of Russia by waza-ari. In “bronze final” he failed to Changrim An of South Korea.
Today champion and prize winners were also revealed in women’s 57 kg. Mariam Janashvili wrestled in the name of Georgia but she lost the first meeting to Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard of Canada.
Tomorrow Top 3 will be revealed in men’s 81 kg and women’s 63 kg. Zebeda Rekhviashvili (81 kg) will wrestle in the name of Georgia.