Georgian weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze breaks world record, wins gold at Tokyo Olympics
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, August 5
Lasha Talakhadze, a Georgian weightlifter has won the second gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, becoming the first two-time Olympic champion in the history of independent Georgia. Breaking his previous record, Talakhadze also set a new world record in the super-heavyweight, +109-kilogram category. He lifted 223 kilograms in the snatch and 265 in the clean and jerk for a total of a world record-breaking 488 kg.
Prior to setting the new record, Talakhadze successfully attempted lifting 208 and 215 kg weights in a snatch at the Olympics yesterday. His coach Giorgi Asanidze, who is also an Olympic gold winner of 2004, initially decided to order 221 kg for the third approach, however, just before the attempt, Asanidze changed the decision and ordered a 223 kg weight to break Talakhadze's own previous record of 222 kg. Talakhadze successfully snatched 223 kilograms, thus adding another gold medal to the one won at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games in the same weight category.
Georgian athlete’s victory brought the seventh medal (2 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze) to the Georgian delegation at the ongoing Olympics. Georgian judokas were able to claim 4 medals. Lasha Bekauri won the first gold medal after defeating Germany’s Eduard Trippel in the men’s 90kg category, while Vazha Margvelashvili, Lasha Shavdatuashvili and Guram Tushishvili won silver medals. Another medal was claimed by Georgian-Ukrainian weightlifter Anton Plesnoy, who managed to win the bronze medal despite the injury. Iakob Kajaia won a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Talakhadze is a 5-time European champion, 4-time World Champion, and already a 2-time Olympic Champion.
