Georgian athlete secures last-minute qualification for Rio Olympics

Georgia’s record-breaking Olympic team is expanding – a weightlifter has secured a last-minute qualification for next months’ Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The unexpected qualification of female weightlifter, Anastasia Gottfried, caused much excitement within the Georgian Olympic Committee and the wider sporting world. 

This year Georgia will field its largest ever team at an Olympic Competition with 40 athletes including Gottfried.

She has already travelled to Brazil to join the 39 other athletes representing Georgia at the prestigious sporting event.

She was granted a place at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio after the International Weightlifting Federation decided to disqualify Russian weightlifters from the Olympic competition and distribute their places among other eight countries.

Georgia secured one spot and Gottfried was given the opportunity to go and compete at the Olympic Games.

President of Georgia’s Weightlifting Federation Kakhi Kakhishvili said: "We have heard of unexpected and pleasant news. Anastasia Gottfried is a confident, purposeful athlete and she deserved [to go to the] Rio Olympics. I wish success to our team.”

Gottfried (+75) has enjoyed a promising career; her most recent result was runner-up at the latest European Championship and winner of the latest World Championship for juniors.

Forty Georgian athletes – 30 men and 10 women – will compete in 13 disciplines at the Rio Olympics. These disciplines are:

1. Judo,
2. Freestyle wrestling,
3. Greco-Roman wrestling,
4. Athletics,
5. Weightlifting,
6. Archery,
7. Shooting sport,
8. Swimming,
9. Trampolining,
10. Rhythmic gymnastics,
11. Fencing,
12. Tennis,
13. Canoeing.