Age: 29

Country: Georgia

Weight category: -90kg/-100kg

Achievements: Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist/2013 World Championship silver medallist and triple European champion

Starting judo

I started judo at the age of 10. At first it was just a sport for me and then I got more involved and judo became the undivided thing of my life.

Representing Georgia

Representing my country is a great responsibility for me, especially because judo is a beloved sport by the Georgian people.

Judo is more than a sport

Judo is my life. It is much more than a sport to me, it means everything.

Being a role model

Being a role model is a great responsibility. It is obviously pleasant to be a role model for somebody. I would be happy if my career was to encourage younger generations to do more sport for a healthier future and to dream of representing their country.

Judo in Georgia

Judo is a popular sport in Georgia, especially in my region of Tbilisi.

Team gold

Winning gold in Rio as a team was one of the highlights of my career. It is a great feeling when you are a member of the best team in the world and you celebrate it with your team members, actually it is greater than winning an individual championship.

Judo's continued growth

I think judo is growing worldwide and I would be happy if more World Judo Tour events continued to be added to develop the sport all over the world.

The future

I wish for success for myself and my teammates.