Lasha Shavdatuashvili confirms status of Georgia's best

Lasha Shavdatuashvili has yet to have a monument erected. In a country with an abundance of sporting successes, it is difficult to select but Lasha is Lasha, the best judoka in the history of Georgia. Waiting for some sculptor to wake up, we rejoice every time he competes. It turns out he was the top seed at the Tbilisi Grand Slam.

Shavdatuashvili has an exemplary record, with an Olympic gold, a silver and a bronze medal, plus a European and a world title. Beyond his trophy collection, the secret to his longevity lies in his tactical mastery. On the tatami he is probably one of the three most intelligent judoka in the world. Knowing how to win, especially when having a bad day, is what differentiates a good judoka from a champion. For those who want to learn, the shortest way is to study all the fights of this judo legend. With the superiority of someone who knows he is the best, the Georgian made it to the semi-final, where his compatriot Giorgi Terashvili was waiting. It wasn’t easy but Shavdatuashvili did what we have just said, giving a lesson in tactics that his rival should check again and again on video. The only certainty was that a local would fight for gold. The other semi-final pitted the Moldovan Petru Pelivan against the Japanese Oyoshi Ken. Both previously performed the feat of cooling the stadium by defeating their two Georgians, Phridon Gigani and Giorgi Chikhelidze. Oyoshi won that semi-final. He is typically Japanese, with an excellent technical panoply, tactical concepts and patience. He won, thus drawing a final of many carats against the king of Georgia.

It was a beautiful duel, beginning with the kumi-kata, an opposition of styles. The king scored waza-ari almost naturally, as if it were easy. He didn't then relax, but added a new attack. He was ahead and the seconds were being consumed too fast. Oyoshi switched gears and took the initiative, but Shavdatuashvili's tactical control was impressive. Only one mistake could separate him from victory and it came three seconds from the end. The Japanese judoka tied with his own waza-ari, but with one shido less and the board and looking fresher. Do not forget, however, we are talking about the king of Tbilisi. Thirty seconds after the start of golden score, a text book de-ashi-barai sent Oyoshi to the ground. Then there was a standing ovation, decibels at full power, the king is alive, long live the king!

Uzbekistan had a difficult first day, one of those that seemed promising, when medals are caressed but everything falls apart. Murodjon Yuldoshev had to be in charge of winning a first bronze for his country on this second day, defeating the Moldovan Petru Pelivan. The temperature and the noise increased with the second bronze medal contest, disputed between the Italian former world number one Manuel Lombardo and the host nation’s Terashvili. Lombardo attacked and the Georgian responded with a devastating counterattack; another medal for the host.