Irakli Tsirekidze

Irakli Zirekidse (Georgian ირაკლი ცირეკიძე, English transcription: Irakli Tsirekidze; born 3 May 1982) is a Georgian judoka and Olympic champion in the middleweight division in the category up to 90 kg.

Irakli Zirekidse finished in 2005 at the World Cup second place in Tbilisi and arrived at the World Cup in Prague also as third on the podium. In 2006 he won the World Cup tournament in Lisbon, at the World Team Championships in Paris, he won with the Georgian team. In 2007 he finished the World Cup tournament in Tbilisi second place and won shortly thereafter in Warsaw. In the Judo European Championships 2007 in Belgrade, he lost the final of the Ukrainian Valentin Hrekov. In September 2007 he won the title at the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, in October he was in Minsk team European champion. In 2008 he finished the World Cup in Tbilisi second place and won in Prague. At the European Championships in Lisbon, he won the bronze medal. Tsirekidzes biggest success was then the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

One and a half months after the Olympics belonged Zirekidse in Tokyo for the winning team at the World Team Championships, now, however, already in his new weight class, the light heavyweight to 100 kilograms. In the new weight class he could fight for 2009, no major successes, in 2010 he finished third in the Grand Slam tournament in Paris, at the World Cup in Madrid, he won. In 2011 he won the bronze medal at the European Championships in Istanbul and the World Championships in Paris.