Shota LOMIDZE

Shota Lomidze, who competed in freestyle wrestling, took up the sport in 1956 and made his international début at the 1964 Olympics as a middleweight but, after a draw with eventual gold medal winner Prodan Gardzhev and a loss to silver medalist Hasan Güngör, Lomidze did not advance to the final rounds. After the Olympics, Lomidze switched to light-heavyweight and won Olympic silver in that category in 1968, in addition to 1967 World Championships silver, a 1966 European title and European silver in 1967. After the 1968 Olympics, Lomidze switched again to a heavier division and, then competing as heavyweight, won World titles in 1969 and 1971 and a European title in 1969. Domestically, Lomidze won four Soviet titles: in 1964 in middleweight and in 1965-67 as a light-heavyweight.