Shota Khabareli Surges To Olympic Judo Gold - Moscow 1980 Olympics

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Classic Olympic highlights as Russia's Shota Khabareli wins the gold medal in the men's judo event at the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games.
Russia and East Germany hoovered up the majority of the medals at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, but judo was a sport where the spoils were expected to be shared more evenly. [More]
The event was held at the splendidly atmospheric Sports Palace in Luzhniki, where the tight confines and vociferous crowd made for a superb fighting arena.
Unfortunately, the men's half middleweight event was deprived of its biggest name because of the boycott.
Japan's Shozo Fujii had won the world title in Paris in spectacular fashion the previous year, and would have been the favourite had he been allowed to compete in Moscow.
That honour duly fell to the Frenchman Bernard Tchoullyan, the man he'd beaten in the world championship final.
Tchoullyan eased through the early rounds, but defeat in the semi-final left the path open for Georgian-born Russian Shota Khabareli.
The 21-year-old had never won a major judo medal, but the experts sat up and took notice when he disposed of world championship bronze medallist Harald Heinke in the last 16.
He took out Bulgarian Georgi Petrov in the quarter-final, and when he surged past Romanian Mircea Fratica in the semi-finals, he suddenly found himself in a battle for the gold.
There he would face Cuban judoka Juan Ferrer La Hera, and the two enjoyed a classic game of cat and mouse.
The Georgian edged it and held his alarms aloft when the final buzzer rang out. He fell into the arms of La Hera, who graciously accepted defeat.
It was to prove the highlight of Khabareli's career, although he took a world bronze in 1983 and went on to enjoy a successful coaching career.
Find more about Olympic judo: www.olympic.org...
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[@ГолландецМихель]

Как же приятно видеть старую классику! Схватка 6 минут. Кока, Юко-оценки качества броска! А главное, не дают оценок за пустые броски или перевороты в партере, как сейчас!))) Иппон - за кувырок в партере можно увидеть только сегодня. )))

[@zura101010]

Georgian!!!

[@OMENASOSETLFKA]

I WISHD IM FINNISH SHOTA KHABARELI

[@lamesurfer1015]

Even today - Judoka fear the guys name. They hear whispered in their ears whenever someone gets the Georgian grip. "Khabareli..."

[@zarrir]

Cuban judoka was robbed in the final

[@jonathanzabel5363]

Great sport ! I saw a video one time about how the Japanese train - it's a wonder
that any of them can still stand !

[@OMEGA078]

🇬🇪🥋👍👋👋👋✊

[@nikadatesha171]

Georgia!

[@MANSIKKASUKLAALPATZA]

MY IDOL

[@OMENA-nq8ou]

MY IDOL

[@BANAANISOSELYFZT]

shota is my idol

[@OMENAHILLO-zv5eo]

MY IDOL

[@MANSIKKASUKLAAADTA]

one of my idols and heroes

[@MANSIKKASUKLAAADTA]

SHOTA IS MY IDOL

[@PAPAIJA-bv2ne]

one of my idols

[@vpp8773]

super

[@reinhardholn5274]

USSR!!! ;)