George Asanidze and Kakhi Kakhiashvili Interview

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Nowadays, the Georgian national weightlifting team is one of the strongest men’s teams in the world. The sportsmen’s level is frankly impressive.

Read the full report about each day of the Weightlifting at 2024 Olympics prepared by our media team. Don’t miss the opportunity to stay updated and follow this great event in the Olympic weightlifting world with us from the very beginning till the end!

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Their top athletes’ performance was especially significant at the 2021 World and European Championships and Olympic Games:

Shota Mishvelidze – European and World Championships – silver, Olympic Games – 7th place.

Revaz Davitadze – European Championship – silver, World Championship – bronze.

Anton Pliesnoi – European Championships – gold, Olympic Games – bronze, took 15th place at the World Championships because of the injury.

Lasha Talakhadze – European and World Championships, Olympic Games – gold and a vast array of world records.

No doubt, a TEAM stands behind these guys: great coaches, teachers, and managers that unite their efforts and arduous work to reach a pinnacle. At the World Championship in Tashkent. we managed to have a chat with the two Georgian weightlifting LEGENDS: Kakhi Kakhiashvili and George Asanidze.

Now, Kakhi Kakhiashvili is the president of the Georgian Federation and is involved in the work of the International and European Weightlifting Federations. Apart from having tremendous experience as a manager, he is also an exceptional athlete.

His range of achievements includes countless world and European records, medals, and 3 Olympic golds (1992, 1996, 2000).

We had a chance to talk to him at the World weightlifting Championship 2021 in Tashkent

 K.K. The Georgian Weightlifting Federation and I, as a president, are really satisfied with the results because you can’t often see such kilograms with your own eyes on the big platform of world championships and Olympic Games. This year, we’ve had an even more special situation: Lasha Talakhadze has become an Olympic and world champion all at once. By the way, a 21-year-old Uzbek athlete Akbar Juraev managed to repeat his accomplishment the day before. 

As an athlete, you have seen all possible weightlifting competitions. What can you say about this World Championship arrangement?

K. I would like to separately thank the Uzbekistan Weightlifting Federation for its hospitality and high-level organization. The championship was arranged in 2 months and, believe me, everything was at the top level.

What do you think about  Lasha Talakhadze’s performance?

K.K. Firstly, I congratulate him on 3 world records. In this difficult period for weightlifting, I think, such achievements will help our sport remain in the Olympic Games program. 

Watch Lasha Talahadze interview: 

You have mentioned, that weightlifting is going through hard times now. What measures should the federation take to solve these problems?

K.K. Firstly, the federation must fulfill all the requirements imposed by the International Olympic Committee. We can sort out everything else within our international family when we sit at the negotiating table. 

Do you believe in Olympic weightlifting?

K.K. Of course, it is our life and our love! We were born here and, perhaps, will be here till the end!

George Asanidze is the head coach of the Georgian national weightlifting team.  For athletes, he is a teacher, a father, a motivator, and a role model. His sports career will impress anyone.

Just think about it: a 3-time European champion, a world and Olympic champion. 

By the way, George Asanidze actually interrupted the victorious career of another legend – Pyrros Dimas. In 2000, they ended up with the same result in total and yet Asanidze turned out to be heavier. However, he managed to grab an Olympic gold right from Pyrros’s hands in Athens in 2004.

You’ll agree, working under the guidance of a coach with such sports experience is just a dream!

The interview with George was taken immediately after 109+ weight class performance and Lasha’s triumphal result of 210, 218, and 225 kilos in the snatch and 247, 257, and 267 kilos in the clean&jerk. 

Georgi Asanidze also shared his opinion. 

A simple question: did everything work out?

G.A. I will be clear – yes, it did! First of all, it is because Lasha has rewritten history today. At weightlifting competitions, no one has ever lifted those kilos that he was holding above his head. I would like to thank him and the Georgian Federation for these achievements. 

Was the road to these records hard?

G.A. We had been preparing and aiming for these kilograms for 6 years. We especially wanted to beat the famous Leonid Taranenko’s record (266 kg) which had been held for 20 years. 

I’m grateful to God that everything turned out successfully! As a coach, I’m so happy to have the opportunity to work with such a gifted athlete! He is a person of extraordinary efficiency and patience.

While snatching a 225-kilo record, Lasha slightly lost balance for a while but managed to hold the barbell. What was the reason?

G.A. It was all about a small technical flaw: while rising, he lost the center of gravity but managed to stabilize himself. He is ready for heavier weights in terms of strength. I’m sure of him!

On the Internet, people talking about Lasha are mainly interested in 500 kilos in total. What does the coach say about it?

G.A. You will definitely see 500!

If you missed the great video on my Youtube channel about BIG Lasha and his preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, be sure to watch it immediately after reading this article.