Georgia’s top sportsman: Wrestler Khinchegashvili is European champion

Georgia is celebrating after the country’s best sportsman, wrestler Vladimer Khinchegahsvili, earned another impressive victory at a top international tournament, adding to his vast collection of international titles.

Khinchegashvili won his second continental title yesterday on day three of the European Wrestling Championships 2016 in Riga, Latvia.

Khinchegashvili, who is the reigning world champion at 57kg, eased past his opponent, 2013 European champion Georgi Kaliev from Belarus with a score of 6-1, at Arena Riga to add the 61kg European crown to the bantamweight title he won in Vantaa, Finland two years ago.

Meanwhile in the semi-final Khinchegashvili won the battle of world champions when he defeated two-time world champion Haji Aliev of Azerbaijan 4-2. 

Khinchegahsvili was named Georgia’s Sportsman of the Year in 2015. 

Meanwhile in Riga three other Georgian wrestlers won medals at the European Wrestling Championships. 

Bronze medal winners at the competition were:

Iakob Makarashvili (74kg);

Elizbar Odikadze (97kg); and

Davit Marsagishvili (86kg).

Riga is yet to host the 70kg and 125kg competition categories, where Georgian wrestlers Davit Tlashadze and Geno Petriashvili will try their strength. 

Before the European Championship, United World Wrestling, the international governing body of wrestling, updated its world ranking reflecting the changing performances of individual sportsmen. Nine Georgian athletes made it into the list of the world’s best wrestlers. 

See the full list here.