Georgians Take Home Judo Gold, Silver in European Cup

In the 2018 Senior European Judo Cup, held in Bratislava, Slovakia over the weekend, the final men’s match in the U90 kg weight category pitted two Georgian judokas against each other. Beka Gviniashvili defeated countryman Avtandil Tchrikishvili; they were awarded gold and silver medals, respectively.

Georgians refer to Gviniashvili as “Tyson,” and the athlete “gave an exciting and convincing performance,” according to the European Judo Union (EJU). Gviniashvili is known for his style and control. During his fights, he “kept his opponents at bay whilst at the same time he was able to set up his array of scoring techniques.”

Gviniasvhili first beat British judoka James Reid, then Canada’s Mohab El Nahas. Tchrikishvili struggled a big against Russian Roman Dontsov, but came out on top in the end. The final match was close, but Gviniashvili was eventually victorious through a “right sided maki-komi, scoring waza ari.”

The Georgian Judo Federation will soon choose which judoka to send to the World Championships in Baku at the end of the month. The front runners in the U90 kg category were Gviniashvili and Tchrikishvili. After Sunday’s match, Gviniashvili commented that Bratislava was preparation for the World Championships.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: European Judo Union