The Georgian National Olympic Committee on Wednesday unveiled the list of this year’s best athletes, with the Georgian wrestler Tato Grigalashvili getting the main prize - the Best Athlete of 2022. Grigalashvili earned the gold medal at the World Judo Championships in Tashkent in October.
The Olympic weightlifter, six-time World and European Champion, Lasha Talakhadze has been awarded with the special prize - named after Viktor Saneyev, the Olympic Georgian triple jumper - for his unique achievements in the Olympic sports. Talakhadze has been named the European Weightlifting Federation’s Weightlifter of the Year after receiving 4,750 votes in an online poll run by the EWF.
The Best Young Athlete award was received by Napoli’s Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who had made an impressive debut in the Serie A championship, scoring six goals and making five assists, while also playing in the Champions League, scoring twice and making three assists.
Photo: Georgian National Olympic Committee
The Georgian Olympic judoka Eteri Liparteliani became the Best Female Athlete, with figure skaters Karina Safina and Luka Berulava becoming the Best Athletes in the Winter Sports and the Georgian Figure Skating Federation named as the Best Sports Federation.
Giorgi Elbakidze, the freestyle wrestler and Anano Apakidze, the trampoline gymnast were named the Discoveries of 2022.
The Olympic Committee nominated boxing coach Bezhan Chichinava as the Best Coach of 2022 and Zaur Sulashvili as the Best Coach in Women's Sports.