Two days ago, the IWF released a press release highlighting that Georgia named +105kg weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze ‘Athlete of the Year,’ along with his quotes on the topic. This award came for good reason, as Talakhadze had an historic year for the sport of weightlifting. If you follow Talakhadze on Instagram, then you probably already saw and heard this news when he posted about back in late December.
In the IWF’s press release, Talakhadze said it was a happy moment for him and stated, “This year has been a good year for the Federation, and Georgia has won a lot of weightlifting victories. Today, this work has been appreciated by the Olympic Committee, which is a good moment and it gives me more incentive for future success.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdQ-H8ZHNkL/
[Read the full recap of Talakhadze’s historic performance at the 2017 IWF World Championships here.]
In addition to awarding Talakhadze for his accomplishment, delegates present listened to the explanation of the Georgian’s preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
By now, chances are you’ve heard about Talakhadze’s year in weightlifting, but in case you haven’t we’ll catch you up to speed. In November, Talakhadze hit a 220kg snatch at Georgian Nationals, which was an unofficial all-time world record, and topped his current competition best of 217kg (set back in April at the European Championships).
Fast forward to the IWF World Championships roughly a month later, and there was a ton of hype behind what Talakhadze would hit on a World stage. Weightlifting fans wondered, ‘Would Talakhadze attempt the 220kg snatch again for a new world record?’ Oh yes, he would, and he would crush it with relative ease.
In addition to hitting the 220kg snatch for a new all-time world record, Talakhadze would also go on to set a new all-time total record with an insane 477kg. It goes without saying that the Georgian ‘Athlete of the Year’ was well earned.
Feature image from @lashatalakhadzesport Instagram page.
