Mirian Tsalkalamanidze
Mirian Zalkalamanidse (Georgian მირიან ცალქალამანიძე, Russian Мириан Васильевич Цалкаламанидзе; born April 20, 1927 in Kondoli, Kakheti, Telavi † 3 August 2000 ) was a Georgian wrestler and Olympic gold medalist for the Soviet Union in 1956 flyweight in free style.
Life
He started as a teenager in Georgia with the rings. He belonged to the sports club Spartak, developed at a young age to an outstanding freestyle wrestler. After winning in 1954 in the Soviet championships in the flyweight, he was assigned to countries struggles against Sweden and defeated while the World Champion from 1950 Bengt Johansson and Karl -Erik Andersson respectively on points. Then he was sent to the World Championships in Tokyo. He won two fights there and came after defeats against the far more experienced wrestler Yushu Kitano from Japan and from Turkey Hüseyin Akbas the 3rd place.
1955 won Zalkalamanidse the Ringer Tournament in free style at the World Festival of Youth in Warsaw flyweight. World Championships did not take place in that year. In 1956 he finished in the Soviet championships in the flyweight behind I. Karavayev and Georgi Sajadow only the third place, but was still sent to the Olympic Games in Melbourne. He justified the confidence placed in him fully, for he was with four wins Olympic gold medalist. In this tournament, Mirian Zalkalamanidse, Hüseyin Akbas conquered from Turkey and Mohammad Ali Khojastepour each other from Iran. At the end of the fighting had Zalkalamanidse and Hüseyin Akbas five faulty points and seven Khojastopour failure points. Since Zalkalamanidse recorded a victory over Hüseyin Akbas, he was Olympic champion.
In 1957 Zalkalamanidse at the World Championship in Istanbul used. A draw in the final battle against Mehmet Kartal prevented him from winning the title. But behind Kartal he took 2nd place.
In subsequent years, he could not bring the weight limit for the flyweight class. In bantamweight but he could at the Soviet Championships no longer place in front of the field and therefore were no longer international operations.