Tbilisi 2015: Georgian athlete wins country’s first gold medal

Georgia has won its first gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival.

This evening Judoka Robizon Beglarishvili (60kg) defeated Manuel Lombardo of Italy in the final and became the 2015 European Youth Olympic champion.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili hung the gold medal around the neck of the 17-year-old before the Georgian national anthem was heard in capital Tbilisi.

"I did not expect that the audience would be so supportive,” said Beglarishvili after his victory.

"I had a very strong competitor but I managed to win.”

Before the final bout, Beglarishvili defeated Armenian Tigran Badalyan, Azerbaijani Ismayil Ibrahimov and Dutchman Lars Kamphuis.

Earlier today, the first Georgian female athlete received a medal.

Judoka Natalia Kipshidze (48kg) won a bronze medal after she defeated British Kiera Bateman in her final match.

Earlier in the competition she lost a fight to Tugce Beder of Turkey before defeating Daria Kharlapanova of Russia and Denisa Beranova of the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, Georgia won the fourth bronze medal after another judoka Bagrat Niniashvili succeeded in the competition earlier today.

After three days of competition, the Georgian Olympic team has gained five medals; one gold and four bronze.