Zurabi Datunashvili

Zurabi Datunashvili (Georgian: ზურაბ დათუნაშვილი, Serbian: Зураб Датунашвили / Zurabi Datunašvili; born 18 June 1991) is a Georgian-born Serbian former Greco-Roman wrestler who competed in the men's middleweight category.[1][2]

Zurabi Datunashvili
Datunashvili at 2021 World Wrestling Championships
Personal information
Nationality Georgia
 Serbia
Born (1991-06-18) 18 June 1991
Tbilisi, Georgia, Soviet Union
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight87 kg (192 lb)
Sport
SportWrestling
StyleGreco-Roman
ClubNational Club of Georgia[1]
CoachViliam Charazov[1]
Medal record
Men's Greco-Roman wrestling
Representing  Serbia
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 87 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Oslo 87 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Belgrade 87 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Warsaw 87 kg
Individual World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Belgrade 87 kg
Representing  Georgia
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2016 Riga75 kg
Gold medal – first place2017 Novi Sad80 kg
Silver medal – second place2013 Tbilisi74 kg

Career

He won a silver medal in the same weight division at the 2013 European Wrestling Championships, coincidentally in his home city Tbilisi, losing out to defending Olympic champion Roman Vlasov of Russia.[3]

Datunashvili represented Georgia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he competed in the men's 74 kg class. He defeated South Korea's Kim Jin-Hyeok, and United States' Ben Provisor in the preliminary rounds, before losing out the quarterfinal match to Azerbaijan's Emin Ahmadov, with a three-set technical score (3–0, 0–3, 0–4), and a classification point score of 1–3.[4][5]

In World Wrestling Championships 2014 for bronze medal in the 75 kg he lost to Elvin Mursaliyev of Azerbaijan (1—1).

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he was knocked out in the first round by Doszhan Kartikov.[2] In November 2016, Datunashvili was disqualified from the 2016 European Cup of Nations after engaging in a mid-match fist fight with his Russian opponent, Imil Sharafetdinov, who was also disqualified. The fist fight descended into a brawl after the two wrestlers' coaches, as well as several fans, joined the melee. "The guys just failed to cope with their emotions, but they swiftly calmed themselves down and were shaking hands several minutes afterward," Gogi Koguashvili, the head coach of the Russian national wrestling team, later remarked.[6]

In 2018, Datunashvili accused the Georgian Wrestling Federation of favoritism and corruption. On 11 January 2019, he was assaulted by Gega Gegeshidze, the president of the Georgian Wrestling Federation, following a match with Robert Kobliashvili which Datunashvili lost by referee's decision. The incident was captured on video. "I don't want him [Gegeshidze] to be arrested, I want him to resign," Datunashvili later told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "He's not man enough to speak the truth, but I feel that truth will prevail. Everyone saw that he hit me with a blunt metal object of some kind." On 20 January, the Georgian Police announced they were opening an investigation into the incident.[7]

In 2020, he won one of the bronze medals in the 87 kg event at the Individual Wrestling World Cup held in Belgrade, Serbia.[8] In 2021, he won a bronze medal in Tokyo, at the Olympic games for the Serbian national team.

In 2022, he won the silver medal in his event at the Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan Tournament held in Istanbul, Turkey.[9] He won the gold medal in the 87 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.[10]

His retirement from professional wrestling was announced in 2023.[11]

References
  1. "Zurabi Datunashvili". London2012.com. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Zurabi Datunashvili". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  3. "Gegeshidze Won Silver Medal". World Sport Georgia. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2013. Zurab Datunashvili
  4. "Men's 74kg Greco-Roman Quarterfinals". London2012.com. London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013. Zurabi Datunashvili
  5. d'Amato, Gary (5 August 2012). "Provisor eliminated, but not discouraged". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013. Zurabi Datunashvili
  6. Bakh, Maria (21 November 2016). "Russian and Georgian Wrestlers Disqualified in 2016 European Cup of Nations". CBW. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  7. Maglakelidze, Oto (22 January 2019). "Georgian Wrestler Hopes Federation President Down For The Count After Clash". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  8. "2020 Individual Wrestling World Cup Results Book" (PDF). unitedworldwrestling.org. United World Wrestling. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  9. "2022 Yasar Dogu, Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan Tournament Results Book" (PDF). UWW.org. United World Wrestling. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  10. "2022 World Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  11. "Greco-Roman entries released for 2023 World Championships". uww.org. United World Wrestling. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023. Zurabi Datunashvili

Zurabi Datunashvili at the International Wrestling Database

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