It was a very recent past that was being exalted today before the final block with a trophy awarded to Avtandili Tchrikishvili for his incredible career, at a time when he is definitively retiring from high-level sport.
The president of the Georgian Judo Federation, Giorgi Atabegashvili, said of him, "He is a true hero of judo and Georgian sport and a role model for the younger generation. When we see all the emotion he brought to us during these years of competition, when we see the titles he has won, 3 times European champion and world champion, we can only be proud. A small mistake during the Olympic Games did not allow him to win this title but he remains our hero. I am confident for his future and for that of judo in our country. His qualities and his knowledge will help the youngest to become as good or even better than him."
Avtandili Tchrikishvili has now decided to devote himself to a coaching career in which he will be able to continue to express all his talent. “I would like to thank everyone who allowed me to achieve my goals and to dream. Without my family, my wife, my coaches and all the staff of the federation, I would never have been able to do it. I achieved a lot as an athlete and now I want to do it as a coach," said Tchrikishvili.
Actually, he has already started to transmit by participating in numerous masterclasses. During the ceremony in his honour, Mohamed Meridja, IJF Coaching and Education Director, presented him with the official statue of Jigoro Kano Shihan, while he received a diploma of recognition for his incredible career from the hands of the president of the federation. Just before the start of the final block, Avtandili Tchrikishvili came out to the ovations of the public on the shoulders of his teammates, followed by the next generation of Georgian champions.
Talking about heroes, Lasha Shavdatuashvili was today's hero of a whole country, winning the gold medal in style and putting himself off being someone to count on this summer in Paris, which would be absolutely breathtaking. In the other categories, Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN) confirmed her world number one position, while in -70kg, double world champion, Barbara Matic of Croatia, and in -81kg, Timur Arbuzov (AIN) enjoyed their respective victories. At the end of day three, Georgia leads the nation ranking in front of Canada and Croatia.
On day 3 of the Tbilisi Grand Slam 2024, the last five categories will be in action: women's -78 kg and +78 kg and men's -90 kg, -100 kg and +100 kg. Follow al the action on https://judotv.com/