Georgia at Tokyo Olympics: judoka Vazha Margvelashvili claims silver
Vazha Margvelashvili, 27, is one of the 34 Georgian athletes competing for the Olympic title in Tokyo. Photo: IJF
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Georgian judoka Vazha Margvelashvili has claimed the country’s very first silver medal at the summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Margvelashvili, 27, was defeated by his Japanese rival Abe Hifumi, 23, in the -66kg category.
The International Judo Federation has tweeted:
Abe Hifumi - Olympic Champion ????
— Judo (@Judo) July 25, 2021
Scoring waza-ari against Georgia’s Margvelashvili, Abe Hifumi joins his sister at the top of the #tokyo2020 Olympic podium ????????#Tokyo2020 #JudoTokyo2020 #Judo #MoreThanSport #StrongerTogether #Olympics @olympics @tokyo2020 #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/nc65ujvYYt
This is the first Olympic victory for Margvelashvili, who has previously claimed gold, bronze and silver medals in European championships in 2016, 2019 and 2021; he also claimed bronze in the world championship in 2017.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili says Margvelashvili has made whole country proud:
And the first Georgian medal goes to Vazha Margvelashvili! You’re making the whole country proud today! ???? ???? ???????? pic.twitter.com/E3Aoq0mFJm
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) July 25, 2021
Ruling Georgian Dream party has also tweeted:
First olympic silver for Team Georgia. Judoka Vazha Margvelashvili made Georgia proud today! pic.twitter.com/aOIP9G03U5
— Georgian Dream (@GeorgianDream41) July 25, 2021
Vazha Margvelashvili is one of the 34 athletes competing at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Looking to provide further incentives for the Georgian athletes, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced each gold medal winner would receive a money prize of one million GEL from the state.