Varlam Liparteliani, member of Georgian judo team, leads world ranking of 90kg. International Judo Federation published renewed ranking yesterday. Liparteliani has 1668 points and is 370 points ahead of Cuban Asley Gonzalez. Ilias Iliadis of Greece is in the third place with 1240 points.
Olympic champion Lasha Shavdatuashvili needed one victory to win in 66kg of German “Grand Prix”. Lasha has 1072 points and is in the second place. He is 48 points behind leader David Larose of France. The Georgian judoka took the fifth place and earned 60 ranking points in Dusseldorf.
There are some changes in the renewed ranking. Avtandil Chrikishvili (81kg) is in the third place. Chrikishvili gained gold medal and 300 points at the German tournament. He has 976 points and is 50 points behind second-placed Victor Penalber of Brazil. Jae-Bum Kim of South Korea is leader of this weight class with 1578 points. Levan Tsiklauri is in the 27th place.
Two Georgians are in 60kg. Amiran Papinashvili shares the third place with Rishod Sobirov of Uzbekistan with 910 points. Betkil Shukvani lost positions and is in the 7th place with 800 points.
Heavyweight Adam Okruashvili is in the fifth place. He is 64 points behind fourth-placed Russian Alexander Mikhaylin. Okruashvili has 906 points and Momose – 860.
In 73kg Nugzar Tatalashvili has 250 points and is in the 30th place. Zebeda Rekhviashvili is 18 points behind him.
Those Georgian judokas who ended up active career are in Top 20 of 100kg. The thirteenth-placed Levan Zhorzholiani stated he would not wrestle on tatami and soon he was appointed as a vice-president of Georgian Judo Federation. The fifteenth-placed Irakli Tsirekidze finished career one month ago.
Zhorzholiani changed his decision and returned to the team. Aleksandre Mskhaladze is in the 37th place.
International marathons will go on in Poland on next weekend. Champions and prize winners will earn 100, 60 and 40 points.
The Georgian team will compete in the upcoming tournament with renewed staff.
Otar Maglakelidze
