The Georgian freestyle wrestling team started the first European Games with two medals. Today champions and prize winners were found out in four weight categories. Revaz Mindorashvili’s team had participant in all four weight categories and two of them got in Top 3.
Elizbar Odikadze (97 kg) competed in the morning program without a loss. He beat Mindaugas Rumbutis of Lithuania (8:2 5:1), Jozef Jaloviar of Slovakia (6:2 0:0) and Valeriy Andriytsev of Ukraine (0:2 4:1).
In final Odikadze faced Khetag Gazyumov of Azerbaijan and lost 0:1 1:2.
Odikadze’s silver turned out to be the second medal for the Georgian team at European Games. Jumber Kvelashvili won bronze medal in 74 kg.
Kvelashvili started participation from 1/16 final where he defeated Rustam Dudaev of Ukraine. Then, the Georgian won over Georg Hart of Germany (3:2 4:0) and Krystian Brzozowski of Poland. One more victory and Kvelashvili would have won a medal but he lost to Aniuar Geduev of Russia. In repechage final the Georgian beat Ali Shabanau of Belarus (6:3 0:2) and took the third place.
Today Vladimer Khinchegashvili (57 kg) could not win a medal and it was a huge disappointment. He beat Andrei Dudkov of Romania (1:0 2:0) and Islam Islamaj of Albania (10:0).
In semifinal Khinchegashvili wrestled Uladislau Andreiu of Belarus but both of them were disqualified by referees. At the beginning of the second period when the Belarusian was winning 2:1 the participants started fighting.
Avtandil Kenchadze (65 kg), debutant of the national team, failed to Frank Chamizo of Italy (1:0 3:4). In repechage he lost to Mustafa Kaia of Turkey (6:4 7:10) and finally, took the 7th place.
Tomorrow champions and prize winners will be found out in other four weight categories: 61, 70, 86 and 125 kg. Beka Lomtadze (61 kg), Davit Tlashadze (70 kg), Sandro Aminashvili (86 kg) and Geno Petriashvili (125 kg) will wrestle in the name of Georgia.
