European Youth Olympic Festival:
Teenage figure skater Nika Egadze takes bronze in Turkey

Young Georgian figure skater Nika Egadze claimed Georgia’s first Winter European Youth Olympic Festival medal in 20 years after finishing on podium in Erzurum, Turkey last week.

The 14-year old athlete took part in the free skating program of the competition on February 15 and finished behind gold medal winner Petr Gumennik of Russia and silver medallist Daniel Grassl of Italy.

Egadze was awarded 155.18 points by the judges, giving the teenage skater a podium finish 20 years after Vakhtang Murvanidze won silver for Georgia in the same category in 1997.

Athletes of the Georgian team were hosted at the National Olympic Committee in Tbilisi earlier today. Photo: Georgia's Sport Ministry press office.

The young athlete was among five other olympians in the Georgian team that competed in Erzurum, with alpine skiers Tamar Barbariani, Ekaterine Gorsiridze, Giorgi Kurtanidze and Lasha Kurtanidze taking part in slalom and giant slalom events and Bakar Mushkudiani featuring in snowboard cross.

Egadze and the other members of the team were hosted in a special reception at the Georgian National Olympic Committee earlier today and received congratulations from officials of the committee and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.

The European Youth Olympic Festival ran in Erzurum from February 11-18. Photo: EYOF.

The European Youth Olympic Festival in Erzurum ran from February 11-18. The competition’s disciplines also included biathlon, ice hockey and cross-country skiing.

The festival involved over 600 athletes from 34 countries competing for 114 medals.