Balavadze Vakhtang

Vakhtang Balavadze (b. Febrary 20, 1927, Ghaniri, now Samtredia Municipality — d. July 25, 2018, Tbilisi) was an athlete (freestyle wrestling, sambo). In 1955, he was awarded the title of Merited Master of Sports of the USSR, and in 1971 — the title of Merited Coach of the USSR. In 1951, he graduated from the Georgian State University of Sport, in 1956 — from the Faculty of History of Tbilisi State University. He was the first Georgian world champion in freestyle wrestling (1954, Tokyo).

He became the world champion for the second time in 1957 (Istanbul). He was World Championship silver (1959) and Olympic (Melbourne, 1956) bronze medalist, five-time (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957) champion of the USSR in freestyle wrestling, USSR champion (1952) in sambo, champion of the World Festival of Youth and Students (1953), winner of international tournaments in Budapest (1954), Stockholm (1954), Gothenburg (1954), Eskilstuna (Sweden, 1954), Tehran (1957), Tabriz (1957), USA (1958).

Balavadze is the co-author of the textbooks Classic Wrestling (1965) and Freestyle Wrestling (1970). He received state awards. He was awarded the Order of the International Wrestling Federation (1997). He was an Honorary citizen of Tbilisi (1999).

Literary work: ქართველი ფალავნები მსოფლიო და ოლიმპიურ შეჯიბრებებში, თბ., 1961; ფალავნები ხალიჩაზე, თბ., 1968.

Literature: გ უ გ უ შ ვ ი ლ ი  ნ., „ჭიდაობას რა უნდა...“, თბ., 1965.

N. Gugushvili