Levan Gugava, member of the Georgian judo national team, won the silver medal in the current European Championship in Sarajevo and improved his last year result, when he won the bronze medal. The chance of reaching the highest step of the pedestal was blocked for the Georgian by the son of Giorgi Revazishvili, coach of the Georgian judoka team, who wrestles under the flag of Greece and under the name of Roman Moustopoulos.
Gugava began the competition with the second circle by defeating Armenian Artavazd Hovsepyan with clean throw at the end of the 3rd minute. In the 1/8 final, he won over Afig Safarli of azerbaijan due to fewer shido. In the ¼ final the Georgian defeated Romanian Vlad Visan in 2 minutes, and in the semifinal defeated Jakub Jecminek of Czech Republic in a minute. But in the battle for the title he lost.
Today, the medals also were awarded in the 81 kg weight category. Ushangi Margiani wrestled in the name of Georgia and lost in the 1/8 final – the unconquerable barrier for him became European champion 2012 Alexios Ntanatsidis, whom he lost by waza-ari and yuko. Before this meeting, Ushangi Margiani removed two his opponents. In the second circle his opponent was Russian Alan Khubetsov and he defeated him by ippon 36 seconds earlier before the final whistle. The Georgian defeated Rico Harder of Netherlands in 20 seconds by 2 waza-ari.
Medals will be awarded tomorrow in 90, 100 and +100 kg weight categories. In these weight categories the following members of the Georgian team will participate; Beka Gviniashvili, Lasha Taveluri (both 90kg), Guram Tushishvili, Tornike Otinashvili (both 100 kg), Levan Matiashvili and Giorgi Zakariadze (both +100). Matiashvili is the current champion of Europe, Gviniashvili the winner of silver and Tushishvili of bronze.
Otar Maglakelidze
