Vakhtang Balavadze
Vakhtang Balavadze (Georgian ვახტანგ ბალავაძე; born November 20, 1927) is a former Soviet wrestler Georgian origin, two-time world champion and bronze medalist in free style welterweight at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.
Career
Vakhtang Balavadze belonged to the Georgian Association " Burewestnik " Tbilisi. In the sports movement " Burewestnik " the students were organized in Soviet times. Vakhtang was formed in Tbilisi, where a wrestler center was an outstanding freestyle wrestler. In 1952, he failed in the Olympic qualification still short of Vasily Rybalko. In 1953 he became the first Soviet welterweight champion and also won at the World Festival of Youth in Bucharest before Nikola Stantschew from Bulgaria and the Finn Salonen.
1954 took place in Tokyo World Championships take place in free style. Vakhtang was used there in the welterweight division and won with five wins the world title. He defeated in such a strong wrestler like Bekir Büke from Turkey and Mohammad Ali Fardin from Iran.
At the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, he won among others However, about Alfred Tischendorf from Jena, who represented the All-German team and Per Berlin from Sweden, was subject somewhat surprising against Ibrahim Zengin from Turkey and Mitsuo Ikeda from Japan and thus only won the bronze medal.
At the World Championships 1957 in Istanbul remained unbeaten Vakhtang, only Ismail Ogan won from Turkey against him a draw and became the second -time world champion. This track he was at the World Championships in 1959 in Tehran not defend, because he met amid a school in excellent shape Imam Ali Habibi from Iran, he lost to on points.
In his last start at an international championship, the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome Vakhtang disappointed. He only won over the Indians Udey Chand, rank against Martin Heinze from Halle draw and lost against Ismail Ogan. He therefore had to settle for 11th place.
Also at the national level Vakhtang was very successful. He was a Soviet champion in 1956 before Mukhtar Dadaschew and M. Schebanow. In 1957, he won this title before Mukhtar Dadaschew and Mikhail Bekmurzow and 1959 he won the welterweight competition at the II Spartakiade the USSR before Mikhail Bekmurzow and L. Tschumitschew.
When large double international match Sweden against the USSR in 1954 in Stockholm by Vakhtang lost to Berlin and won against Hans Antonsson.
International success
(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, F = free style, We = welterweight, then to 73 kg body weight)