“Today we are going to gain the first medal” – I told Davit Kevkhishvili, president of the Georgian Judo Federation. He was happy too, like Mamuka Khabareli and Irakli Dolaberidze who were sitting on the tribune with me.
Vazha Margvelashvili, member of the Georgian team, had not wrestled on tatami yet but everything was going perfectly in his group. Russian Mikhail Puliaev lost to Antoine Bouchard of Canada. Later, Mathews Punza of Zambia beat Golan Pollack of Israel.
Vazha Margvelashvili should have gone through to semifinal easily. In the first round he faced Adrian Gomboc of Slovenia. The most important meeting finished unsuccessfully for us. The Georgian lost by ippon.
The main event of the day was the first Olympic gold medal in the history of Kosovo. Majlinda Kelmendi (52 kg) won gold medal and took it to the building where the Georgian delegation lives too.
Our archers and shooter Nino Salukvadze competed during judo morning program. I made my choice on judo but… we could not achieve success in those sports either.
The Georgia women’s archery team lost the first round of play-off in team championship. Khatuna Narimanidze, Kristine Esebua and Yulia Lobzhanidze failed to Mexico. The Georgian archers lost all three sets: 50:54, 52:58, 55:57.
Olympic, world and European champion, shooter Nino Salukvadze could not make through to the final of 10m air pistol. In the qualifying round Salukvadze earned 377 points and took the 34th place.
Salukvadze finished the first series with 96 points, the second and the third ones with 93-93 points and the last one with 95 points.
Later, I attended Teona Bostashvili’s competition in 100 m breaststroke. The 18-year-old Georgian athlete took the third place in the first qualifying round.
Unsuccessful day finished with another failure of the Georgians. This time we were not disappointed by our athlete’s game. Tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili did his best against No.11 seed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay. After losing the first set (3:6), Nikoloz won the second one on tie-break (10:8). The experience of Cuevas decided the fate of the third set and Basilashvili lost 3:6.
Tariel Khechikashvili, minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Leri Khabelov, president of the Georgian National Olympic Committee, Otar Berdzenishvili, ambassador of Georgia to Brazil, and the Georgian fans supported Basilashvili during the match.
On August 8, only judoka Lasha Shavdatuashvili will compete in the Olympics in the name of Georgia. He is a current Olympic champion.
Otar Maglakelidze, special correspondent of worldsport.ge in Rio de Janeiro
