Belgrade, capital of Serbia, will host European Championship in freestyle for men and women from Tuesday till Friday. Georgian freestyle wrestling team will participate in the championship with the strongest staff. According to the decision of head coach Zaza Turmanidze, only Vladimer Khinchegashvili (55kg) will lack optimal staff. Finalist of last European Championship has to gain license of London Olympic Games. He will compete in the license tournament after a month and half. Besik Guchashvili will wrestle in this weight class.

Like 55kg, Georgian team has to gain licenses in 66 and 96kg but domestic leaders of these weight classes – Otar Tushishvili and Giorgi Gogshelidze will wrestle on Belgrade mat.

Malkhaz Zarkua will wrestle in 60kg, Davit Khutsishvili – in 74kg, Davit Marsagishvili – in 84kg and Davit Modzmanashvili – in 120kg. They guaranteed wrestling at Olympiad last year: Khutsishvili, Marsagishvili and Modzmanashvili won bronze medals and Zarkua took the fifth place.

First, Tushishvili and Gogshelidze will wrestle from Georgians. Champions and prize winners of their weight classes will be found out tomorrow. On March 7, champions will be found out in 55 and 60kg, on March 8 – in 74 and 120kg and on March 9 – in 84kg.

Giorgi Gogshelidze has the best result from Georgian team. In 2006-2007, he won bronze medal at European Championship. In 2008, he became champion and last year Giorgi wrestled in final and lost to Khetag Gaziumov of Azerbaijan. Otar Tushishvili won 3 bronzes – in 1999, 2001 and 2010. Malkhaz Zarkua is silver medal winner of European Championship 2010. Davit Marsagishvili won silver medal last year. Davit Khutsishvili took the third place last year.

Let us remind early statistic. Seven freestyle wrestlers won gold medals in history of independent Georgia. Overall, Georgian team won 12 gold medals. Luka Kurtanidze won 5. Davit Poghosian became champion of Europe twice, Leri Khabelov, Zaza Zozirov, Emzar Bedineishvili, Revaz Mindorashvili and Giorgi Gogshelidze – only once. Gogshelidze won this title four years ago. Besides 12 gold medals, Georgian team gained 14 silver and 16 bronze medals in last 20 years.

Here is statistic of Soviet Georgia: 16 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals. Leri Khabelov who is the first champion of Europe in history of independent Georgia won this title three times in Soviet years. Zaza Turmanidze, head coach of Georgian team, won European gold in 1987.

All champions of Europe in history of independent Georgia

Leri Khabelov (1992)
Zaza Zozirov (1993)
Eldar-Luka Kurtanidze (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005)
Davit Poghosian (1997, 1998)
Emzar Bedineishvili (2000)
Revaz Mindorashvili (2003)
Giorgi Gogshelidze (2008)
 

Otar Maglakelidze