Judoka Bekauri Wins First Gold for Georgia in Tokyo

Judoka Lasha Bekauri secured today the first gold medal for Georgia in the Tokyo Olympic Games, after winning to German Eduard Trippel in the final of men’s 90kg category.

21-year-old Bekauri made his way to the final after defeating Mikhail Igolnikov of the Russian Olympic Committee in semifinal earlier today.

This is Georgia’s third medal at the Tokyo 2020, after judokas Vazha Margvelashvili and Lasha Shavdatuashvili won Olympic silvers in men’s 66kg and men’s 73kg categories, respectively.

Bekauri’s victory in men’s 90-kilogram judo marks the third ever Georgian olympic gold in the category, after Zurab Zviadauri’s win in Athens in 2004 and Irakli Tsirekidze’s gold in Beijing in 2008.

35 Georgian athletes are competing in Tokyo, in 11 sports. The Government of Georgia has promised to award gold winners with GEL 1 million (USD 324,000). 

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