Georgian wrestlers continued preparation for London Olympic Games in Dusheti. Georgian freestyle wrestling team arrived in Olympic base yesterday. Greco-Romans will arrive in Dusheti today. Both meetings will last two weeks. Then, the sportsmen will have three-day pause. After that, the teams of Zaza Turmanidze and Begi Darchia will resume training in Dusheti. The second meeting will end up on April 16-17.

This year, license season will start on April 20 and will end up in 17 days. Three tournaments will be held in this period: on April 20-22 – in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, on April 27-29 – in the city of China, Taiyuan, on May 4-6 – in the capital of Finland, Helsinki. 2-2 best wrestlers of each weight class will gain license in Sofia and Helsinki and 3-3 wrestlers – in Taiyuan. If sportsman who has already gained license will win it once again, then sportsman behind him will gain a right to leave for Olympiad.

After the first tournament Turmanidze and Darchia will renew the staffs.

Malkhaz Zarkua (60kg), Davit Khutsishvili (74kg), Davit Marsagishvili (84kg) and Davit Modzmanashvili (120kg) gained licenses at last World Championship. Only Manuchar Tskhadaia (66kg) from Greco-Romans gained license last year.

Vladimer Khinchegashvili (55kg), Otar Tushishvili (66kg) and Giorgi Gogshelidze (96kg) are distinguished freestyle wrestlers from non-license weight classes. Georgian fans of wrestling are expecting from them not only Olympic licenses but also medals. There is a difficult situation in Greco-Roman. The team of Darchia will not be able to leave for London with the whole staff. Gia Natsvlishvili, president of National Olympic Committee, knows that five licenses will be success for Greco-Romans. Lasha Gogitadze is considered as the main candidate in 55kg. Besides him, perhaps, Goderdzi Davitadze, silver medal winner of Georgian Championship, will have an Olympic chance.

Everything is clear in domestic competition of 60kg. Current European champion Revaz Lashkhi will wrestle for license. If he does not achieve success, Irakli Chochua will participate in the second tournament.

Manuchar Kvirkvelia (74kg) has guaranteed being No.1 of the team. Olympic champion is preparing individually for license tournaments and he missed European Championship. Besides Kvirkvelia, Zurab Datunashvili will wrestle at any tournament.

Vladimer Gegeshidze and Revaz Nadareishvili will wrestle for license in 84kg. Besides Soso Jabidze, perhaps, prize winner of Georgian Championship will wrestle in 96kg. Amiran Zarnadze won silver medal. Irakli Kajaia and Givi Morchiladze won bronze medals. Ramaz Nozadze who was injured will participate in preparation process. It is not excluded that he will have an Olympic chance. Guram Perseladze is a leader of the team in 120kg. Revaz Chelidze and brothers – Shota and Sergo Gogisvanidze are candidates.
 

Otar Maglakelidze