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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Freestyle wrestling | ||
Competitor for  Georgia |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 1996 Atlanta | 90 kg |
| Bronze | 2000 Sydney | 97 kg |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1993 Toronto | 90 kg |
| Bronze | 1997 Krasnoyarsk | 97 kg |
| Gold | 2002 Tehran | 96 kg |
| Gold | 2003 New York City | 96 kg |
| Silver | 2005 Budapest | 96 kg |
Eldar "Luka" Kurtanidze (Georgian: ელდარ [ლუკა] კურტანიძე) (born April 16, 1972) is a Georgian wrestler and the Georgian Dream political activist. He has served as the President of the Wrestling Federation of Georgia since December 2012 and Head of Physical Training at the Georgian Police Academy since January 2013.[1]
Contents |
Wrestling career[edit]
Kurtanidze has been a senior professional freestyle wrestler since 1992. He was a bronze medalist in both the Men's Freestyle 90 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympics and also Men's Freestyle 97 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated early. In addition to his Olympic bronzes, he has two gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal from the FILA Senior World Championships. He has received five gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals from the FILA Senior European Championships. In 2006 he raised his weight to compete in the 120 kg class. He made his mixed martial arts debut at the Pride Fighting Championships show on December 31, 2006 against veteran MMA fighter and former amateur wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita. He was defeated via submission (strikes) at 2:09 of round 1.
Political activism[edit]
Kurtanidze became involved in the politics of Georgia since 2011. As an ally of the opposition leader Nino Burjanadze he took part in the May 2011 rally against the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili. During the rally, he was involved in a clash with police and was severely beaten up. In 2012, he joined the Georgian Dream coalition led by the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili after whose accession to premiership after the 2012 parliamentary election Kurtanidze became the president of Georgia's Wrestling Federation and Head of Physical Training at the Georgian Police Academy. He has been accused of resorting to physical violence against his opponents in the Wrestling Federation.[2][1]
Mixed martial arts record[edit]
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 |  Kazuyuki Fujita |
Submission (strikes) | Pride Shockwave 2006 | December 31, 2006 | 1 | 2:09 |
Senior wrestling international competition medals and rankings received[edit]
2009
August 29: World Beach Wrestling Championship, 85+ kg = 2nd place
2008
June 27: Golden Grand Prix, 120 kg = 7th place
2007
March 22: World Cup, 96 kg = 4th place
2006
September 25: World Championship, 120 kg = 10th place
June 23: Golden Grand Prix, 120 kg = Bronze
April 29: European Championship, 120 kg = Bronze
March 11–12: Uzbekistan Independence Cup Golden Grand Prix, 120 kg = Bronze
2005
September 26: World Championship, 96 kg = Silver
April 12: European Championship, 96 kg = Gold
2004
August 26: Olympic Games, 96 kg = 8th place
2003
November 9: FILA Absolute Championship, 96 kg = 5th place
September 12: World Championship, 90 kg = Gold
May 1: European Championship, 96 kg = 5th place
2002
September 5: World Championship, 96 kg = Gold
May 1: European Championship, 96 kg = Silver
2001
November 22: World Championship, 97 kg = 5th place
April 19: European Championship, 97 kg = Gold
2000
September 28: Olympic Games, 97 kg = Bronze
April 6: European Championship, 97 kg = 9th place
1999
October 7: World Championship, 97 kg = 6th place
April 15: European Championship, 97 kg = Bronze
1998
September 7: World Championship, 97 kg = 6th place
May 7: European Championship, 97 kg = Gold
1997
August 29: World Championship, 97 kg = Bronze
May 6: European Championship, 97 kg = Gold
1996
July 30: Olympic Games, 90 kg = Bronze
March 21: European Championship, 90 kg = Gold
1995
August 10: World Championship, 90 kg = 8th place
January 1: European Championship, 90 kg = Silver
1994
August 24: World Championship, 90 kg = 10th place
April 8: European Championship, 90 kg = 6th place
1993
August 25: World Championship, 90 kg = Silver
January 1: European Championship, 90 kg = Silver
References[edit]
- ^ a b Modebadze, Salome (1 February 2013). "President of the Georgian Wrestling Federation accused of physical assault". The Messenger Online. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ Bigg, Claire; Kevanishvili, Eka (3 February 2013). "Wrestlers' Alleged Beating Reveals Political Underbelly Of Georgian Sports". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
External links[edit]
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