Georgia’s Ilia Sulamanidze ranked among world’s leading judo athletes

The International Judo Federation on Tuesday published the final ranking of the year, with Georgian wrestler Ilia Sulamanidze listed at the top of the -100 kg weight category of the world’s leading athletes.

In the updated list, the Georgian wrestler has 5,752 rating points and is ranked 427 points ahead of the Netherlands’ Michael Korel.

Men World number 1. Photo: International Judo Federation 

Sulamanidze rose to the top of the ranking after earning a gold medal at the Jerusalem Masters this month, marking a successful return to Israel after his bronze-winning performance at the 2021 Tel Aviv Grand Slam, his first IJF World Tour event. 

In the Jerusalem-hosted competition, the 21-year-old won the medal after defeating his Dutch rival Simeon Catharina with a warning in extra time, bringing the second gold medal for the Georgian team.