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Happy Birthday to Kakhi Kakhiashvili

2018 Friday 13th  is a rather lucky day: one of the most prominent weightlifters of all time, Kakhi Kakhiashvili is celebrating his birthday today!

The three times Olympic Champion Georgian legend, who is currently the President the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, won his first Olympic Gold Medal at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, as part of the post-Soviet Unified Team, in the 90kg bodyweight category.

He won the next two Gold Medals representing Greece at the Atlanta 1996 Games in the 99kg bodyweight category, and in Sydney in the 94kg category.

He was born on July 13, 1969, in Tsinvali and still achieved remarkable results while competing under the Georgian flag. He became European Champion in 1993 and won a Silver Medal at the World Championships. He won three World Championships (1995, 1998, 1999) and stood up several World Records which of some were not beaten for 18 years.

After retiring from his sports career, he did a lot for the recognition of the Georgian weightlifting in his country and made significant contribution to upgrade weightlifting as a successful sport and earn international recognition.  He didn’t achieve his results only as an athlete or coach, but as a highly respected sport diplomat while he is now the President of the Weightlifting Federation of Georgia – working tirelessly for the sport. Kakhi Kakhiashvili was inducted to the IWF Hall of Fame in 2010.

Under his leadership, Tbilisi, Georgia could host major international events such as the 2015 European Championships and the 2016 IWF Junior World Championships.  Last May, he demonstrated again his great organizing skills as mainly it is his merit that the Georgian Capital hosted the IWF Lifter of the Year Gala.

Happy Birthday to Kakhi Kakhiashvili!