Vakhtang BLAGIDZE

Georgian Vakht’ang Blagidze, who took up wresting in 1968, was the world’s top Greco-Roman flyweight wrestler in the late 1970s and early 80s. Blagidze won Olympic gold in 1980, was the World Champion in 1978 and 1981 and European Champion in 1978 and 1980. He also won gold at the 1977 Universiade and silver at the 1982 World Cup. Domestically, Blagidze was less successful, winning his only Soviet title in 1981.