Summer Olympics: the Georgian athletes competing for glory in Tokyo
The Georgian athletes who qualified for the upcoming summer games received a send-off ceremony in Tbilisi on the weekend. Photo via Georgian National Olympic Committee.
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Georgia will be represented by 34 athletes competing in 11 sports at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, with the competitors receiving a formal send-off ceremony in Tbilisi on the weekend.
The Georgian representation at the summer games will have its debut in the opening ceremony with flag-bearers Nino Salukvadze and Lasha Talakhadze - the former a three-time Olympic medal-winner in shooting sports and the latter the 2016 gold medal recipient at the games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Georgian competitors will look to improve on the previous Olympic medal haul of two gold, one silver and four bronze at the 2016 competition, where the country was represented by 40 entrants.
This year's competitors will vie for medals in a range of disciplines between July 23-August 8, with the full list of the athletes and their respective sports as indicated below:
- Athletics (shot put): Giorgi Mujaridze, Sopiko Shatirishvili, Benik Abramian
- Athletics (long jump): Bachana Khorava
- Athletics (triple jump): Lasha Ghulelauri
- Boxing: Sakhil Alakhverdov (52 kg), Eskerkhan Madiev (69 kg), Giorgi Kharabadze (75 kg)
- Fencing: Sandro Bazadze
- Freestyle wrestling: Avtandil Kentchadze (74 kg), Elizbar Odikadze (97 kg), Geno Petriashvili (125 kg)
- Greco-Roman wrestling: Ramaz Zoidze (67 kg), Lasha Gobadze (87 kg), Giorgi Melia (97 kg), Iakob Kajaia (130 kg)
- Judo: Tetiana Levytska-Shukvani (52 kg), Eter Liparteliani (57 kg), Lukhum Chkhvimiani (60 kg), Vazha Margvelashvili (66 kg), Lasha Shavdatuashvili (73 kg), Tato Grigalashvili (81 kg), Lasha Bekauri (90 kg), Varlam Liparteliani (100 kg), Guram Tushishvili (100+ kg)
- Karate: Gogita Arkania (75 kg)
- Rhythmic gymnastics: Salome Pazhava
- Shooting sports: Nino Salukvadze
- Swimming (freestyle 100 m): Mariam Imnadze
- Swimming (freestyle 400 m): Irakli Revishvili
- Tennis: Nikoloz Basilashvili
- Weightlifting: Shota Mishvelidze (61 kg), Goga Chkheidze (67 kg), Anton Plesnoy (96 kg), Lasha Talakhadze (109 kg)
Looking to provide further incentives for the Georgian athletes, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced on Saturday each gold medal winner would receive a money prize of one million GEL from the state.
Participants from Georgia will also compete at the subsequent Paralympic Games, launching on August 24 and running through September 5 in the Japanese capital.
The Georgian flag will be carried at the opening ceremony by wheelchair fencer Irma Khetsuriani, who, alongside fellow team members Nino Tibilashvili and Gvantsa Zadishvili, earned gold for Georgia at the World Championships in Warsaw last week.