After 7-year break, Georgian judoka Avtandil Chrikishvili (81 kg) won the highest title at the Russian World Championship.

The Georgian judoka won six meetings at the tournament and ended the season with golden double. Recall that Chrikishvili was the best at Montpellier Championship too, which was held in April.

In the “tractor” hall of Chelyabinsk, the Georgian hold the first meeting against Czech Yaromir Musil, who injured his leg at the second minute and was unable to continue the fight. In the second circle, Chrikishvili won over Belgian Joaquim Botyo by yuko and maintained the leadership until the end.

Shidos decided the fate of the next two meetings – in the ¼ final the Georgian judoka could not perform a stunt against Japanese Takenori Nagase, but oppressed him by being active and the referee gave the opponent three shido.

In semifinal Chrikishvili wrestled against French Alain Schmitt and fell behind by yuko in the third minute. In the last 2 minutes he attacked the opponent without looking back and achieved his desire by shidos.

In the second semifinal French Luis Pietri and Canadian Antuan Valua-Fortie wrestled against each other. Of course Pietri was the favorite, but he lost and Chrikishvili lost the chance of taking revenge due to the last year’s failure.

Chrikishvili won over Valua-Fortie by wazari at the first minute. The referee fixed ippon, but the table of referees changed the decision. The remaining 4 minutes elapsed without stunt.

Thus, Chrikishvili is the current World and European champion.

In 81kg weight category Ushangi Margiani also participated. He won over Colombian Derian Castro by wazari-yuko, but in the second circle could not beat North Korean Hong Vi Pak.

Tomorrow, the prize- winners will be found out. In 90kg in men and in 70 and 78 in women. Varlam Liparteliani, Beka Gviniashvili (both 90kg) and Esther Stamm (70kg) will participate under the Georgian flag.

Liparteliani will be involved from the second circle and will wrestle against the winner between Chinese Ksiunzhao Chen and Estonian Alexander Marmeliuk. 18-year-old Gviniashvili also will start from the second circle and his opponents will be Russian Kiril Voprosov and Kazakh Samat Yesen. Austrian Bernardet Graph will be the opponent of Esther Stamm.

Preliminary stage meetings will start at 9:00 Tbilisi time and the final block – at 15:00.