Freestyle champions and prize winners of four weight classes were found out at World Championship which is underway in Istanbul. Georgian team gained one medal. Dato Marsagishvili (84 kg) won bronze medal and guaranteed license of London Olympic Games 2012. Malkhaz Zarkua (60 kg) also won a right to participate in Olympic Games. Zarkua lost in repechage final and took the fifth place. Giorgi Gogshelidze (96 kg), the most titled member of Georgian team, lost to Kazakh Teimuraz Tigiev in the first round.

Tigiev is that sportsman who won over Gogshelidze at Beijing Olympic Games with the help of referees. Georgian sportsman could not manage to take revenge this time. Tigiev went through 1/16 final. He also beat Russian Hajimurat Gatsalov but lost to Turkish Serhat Balci and Gogshelidze did not have chance of winning bronze medal.

Dato Marsagishvili started participation from the second round and defeated Emzar Bedineishvili of Greece. He lost to Ibrahim Aldatov of Ukraine. In repechage, Marsagishvili beat two opponents – Belarusian Amarhad Mahamedaus and Latvian Armand Zvirbuli.

Zarkua lost to Franklin Gomez Matto of Puerto Rico in the first round but Gomez went through the final. Zarkua wrestled in “repechage final” and guaranteed Olympic license. Kazakh Dauren Jumagaziev defeatead Zarkua.

Besik Kudukhov of Russia became champion in 60 kg, Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan – in 84 kg and Reza Mohammed Ali Iazdan of Iran – in 96 kg.

Today, champions and prize winners will be found out in 66, 74 and 120 kg. Shalva Muziashvili (66 kg) will wrestle against Aali Shabanau, Davit Khutsishvili (74 kg) – against Romeo Joumes of Cameroon and Davit Modzmanashvili (120 kg) – against Farid Papou Masumi Valad of Iran.

Otar Maglakelidze