2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze is the achievement of the Georgian men’s team on the second day of Tbilisi Grand Prix. No words, this is a brilliant result. However if we regard that today champions and prize winners were revealed only in two weight categories.
In 73 kg three of four judokas ascended to the podium. Only Pridon Gigani remained without medal, who finished his participation in 1/8 final.
The highlight of this weight class and the whole day was a repeat of the final of the London Olympics. Olympic champion Lasha Shavdatuashvili defeated Hungarian Miklosh Ungvar once again, but the difference was that if both judoka participated in 66kg in London, this time they faced each other in a higher weight category.
Shavdatuashvili took advantage from the first seconds. He has not complied actions, but he made referee warn his opponent three times.
In ¼ final Georgian Olympic and European champion wrestled with absolutely different tactic against Ukrainian Sergey Drebot – gained one wazari and kept the superiority. In semifinal he had a difficult fight against Viktor Skvortov, representative of U.A.E. If not a warning of his opponent, which the referee gave 1 second earlier before the final sirene, Lasha Shavdatuashvili would have go to repechage. But fighting continued in overtime and Shavdatuashvili managed to snatch victory by Yuko at the extra 6th minute.
On the second side of the draw, the members of the Georgian team were distributed so that the paths of Nugzar Tatalashvili and Zebeda Rekhviashvili were crossed in quarterfinal. Before both judoka beat one opponent. Tatalashvili won over Turkish Kasim populov and Rekhviashvili beat Ukrainian Dmitro Kanivets by ippon.
The Georgian opposition ended at the 5th minute with ippon, made by Tatalashvili. But before this episode Rekhviashvili was leading and he made the referee warn his opponent twice.
In semifinal Nugzar Tatalashvili beat Russian Musa Mogushkov. Shido decided the fate of this meeting, which referee gave to the Russian half minute before the final sirene.
In the final Tatalashvili defeated his best friend in a rather colorless fight by Wazari.
Zebeda Rekhviashvili won the bronze medal. After losing to Tatalahvili, he won over Azerbaijani Rustam Oruzhov and Viktor Skvortov.
As for Pridon Gigani, he participated only twice on tatami. He opened the competition by defeating experienced Italian Marco Madalloni by ippon, but he could do nothing against Rustam Oruzhov.
In 81kg weight Avtandil Chrikishvili, leader of the world rankings, was No.1 seed. Current European champion brilliantly wrestled and won the gold medal without any problems. However in quarterfinal he had to overcome serious resistance against Ushangi Margiani and he won only with one warning. Recall that Chrikishvili and Margiani faced each other in the final of Georgian Championship last year and Chrikishvili won it.
This time, before the meeting with his teammate, Avtandil Chrikishvili won over Armenian Rafael Davtyan. In semifinal he made the referee remove Iranian Amir Gasem in 4 minutes, who tried to avoid the fight continuously. In final he took revenge over American Trevis Stivens and won.
Ushangi Margiani opened the tournament by beating Greek Roman Mustopulosis with ippon. In repechage he overcame Azerbaijani Tural Sapguliev and Mamadali Mehdiev and won bronze medal.
Together with gold medals Nugzar Tatalashvili and Avtandil Chrikishvili also earned 300-300 ranking points. Lasha Shavdatuashvili gained 180 points. Zebeda Rekhviashvili and Ushangi Margiani earned 120-120 points with bronze medals.
Today, Giorgi Papunashvili, Lasha Zurabiani (both 81kg), Nino Martiashvili, Shorena Sharadze (both 63kg) and Tea Sukhitashvili also wrestled under the Georgian flag, but stayed beyond the top three.
Among them only Sharadze gained a point for the team, who ended the Grand prix in the 7th place. She joined the main draw from the second circle, where she wrestled against Jewish Rotem Shore, she could not resist well against her opponent, but made through to the ¼ final anyway.
In ¼ final Shorena Sharadze lost to American Hanna Martin and in repechage lost to Croatian Andrea Drakovic.
Giorgi Papunashvili, Lasha Zurabiani, Nino Martiashvili and Tea Sukhitashvili participated only once. Papunashvili lost to Kazakh Parkhad Ruzukulov. Zurabiani could do nothing against Italian Antonio Chiano, Martiashvili lost to Azerbaijani Khanim Huseinov and Sukhitashvili to Jewish Yarden Mayerson.
Tbilisi Grand Prix ends tomorrow. Prize winners among men will be found out in 90, 100 and +100 weight categories, in women – 78 and +78. 15 judokas will participate on behalf of Georgia: Varlam Liparteliani, Zviad Gogochuri, Beka Ghviniashvili, Paata Ghviniashvili (all 90kg), Ioseb Mskhaladze, Guram Tushishvili, Davit Loriashvili, Revaz Chikoidze (all 100kg), Adam Okruashvili, Levan Matiashvili, Onise Bughadze, Rostom Khakhaleishvili (all +100kg), Nino Odzelashvili (78kg), Irine Leonidze and Elene Kebadze (both +78kg).
Preliminary stage meetings will start from 10:00 and final stage meetings from 17:00.
Tbilisi Grand Prix organizers are Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Georgian Judo Federation, Judo International Federation and the companies: “Aqua Geo” and “Zedazeni”. Tournament is supported by Tbilisi Government.
Judo
Grand Prix
Tbilisi
March 21
Men
60 kg
1 Orkhan Saparov (Azerbaijani)
2 Yerkebulan Kosaiev (Kazakhstan)
3 Arsen Galstyan (Russia)
3 Lukhum Chkhvimiani (Georgia)
5 Amiran Papinashvili (Georgia)
7 Giorgi Brolashvili (Georgia)
7 Paata Merebashvili (Georgia)
66 kg
1 Nijat Shikhalizada (Azerbaijan)
2 Giorgi Zantaraia (Ukraine)
3 Batgerel Batseceg (Mongolia)
3 Alim Gadanov (Russia)
7 Shalva Kardava (Georgia)
7 Tristan Peikrishvili (Georgia)
Women
48 kg
1 Natalia Kondratieva (Russia)
2 Marina Cherniak (Ukraine)
3 Ameli Roseno (Israel)
3 Dilara Lokhmanhekim (Turkey)
52 kg
1 Gili Coen (Israel)
2 Rosalba Forchiniti (Italy)
3 Tatiana Levitska (Ukraine)
3 Natalia Kuziutina (Russia)
57 kg
1 Irina Zabludina (Russia)
2 Yovana Rogic (Serbia)
3 Shushana Gevorkyan (Ukraine)
3 Kipaiat Gasimova (Azerbaijan)
March 22
Men
73 kg
1 Nugzar Tatalashvili (Georgia)
2 Lasha Shavdatuashvili (Georgia)
3 Zebeda Rekhviashvili (Georgia)
3 Musa Mogushkov (Russia)
81 kg
1 Avtandil Chrikishvili (Georgia)
2 Travis Stevens (USA)
3 Ushangi Margiani (Georgia)
3 Asaf Chen (Israel)
Women
63 kg
1 Edvig Gvendi (Italy)
2 Yarden Gerby (Israel)
3 Pary Surakatova (Russia)
3 Nina Miloshevic (Slovenia)
7 Shorena Sharadze (Georgia)
70 kg
1 Barbara Matici (Croatia)
2 Ekaterina Denisenkova (Russia)
3 Irina Gazieva (Russia)
3 Lyor Vildikan (Israel)
Otar Maghlakelidze
