South Caucasian Countries Are Ready for XXXIII Summer Olympics: Key Athletes and Expectations

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The XXXIII Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11. This prestigious event will host over 11,000 athletes from 206 countries^[1] competing in 32 sporting categories, all vying for the titles of the world’s best. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia will take part as independent nations for the eighth time^[2].

For these relatively small states, the Olympic Games provide opportunities to gain international attention and recognition. As a result, the tournament is significant for all three countries, not just in terms of sports but also as a matter of national pride, particularly in matchups involving Armenian and Azerbaijani, or Georgian and Russian athletes.

Armenia

Armenia will be represented by 15 athletes at the Summer Olympics. Boxer Davit Chaloyan will carry the flag, and for the first time in history, Armenian athlete and sports shooter Elmira Karapetyan will participate in the torch relay.

Armenia is famous for its gymnastics school, and this year, the country will be represented by brothers Vahagn and Artur Davtyan. Armenians hope that Artur, a World Champion and six-time European Champion who also holds Olympic medals, will add Olympic gold to his collection.

In the Paris Olympics, Armenia's debutant and one of the favourites, World Champion and three-time European Champion Malkhas Amoyan, will compete for a gold medal in the highly competitive Greco-Roman wrestling category. Another top-tier Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler is Artur 'White Bear' Aleksanyan, who has won various Olympic medals (Bronze in 2012 London, Gold in 2016 Rio de Janeiro, and Silver in 2020 Tokyo). In his fourth and likely final Olympic Games, he will strive to win another medal for his country.

Armenia will have two strong athletes representing the country in freestyle wrestling: four-time European Champion Arsen Harutyunyan and European Champion Vazgen Tevanyan.

Weightlifting has been Armenia’s most successful Olympic category. The country boasts incredible talent in heavyweight Varazdat Lalayan, who will be competing against Georgian legend Lasha Talakhadze. Lalayan won his first gold medal at the 2024 European Championships; however, it's important to note that Talakhadze, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and holder of all weightlifting records, did not participate in that tournament.

Armenia is hoping to win more than five medals at the Paris Olympics. Despite having a small number of athletes, achieving this goal is still possible if they maintain their form and trajectory.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan will send 47 athletes to the Paris Olympics. Female judoka Gultaj Mammadaliyeva and boxer Mahammad Abdullayev will serve as the flag bearers.

Azerbaijan has a strong tradition in wrestling and judo, and significant success is anticipated in these sports. Notably, a 21-year-old Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestling prodigy, who has already won silver and bronze medals at world championships and is a two-time European Champion, will be competing for gold in his Olympic debut.  Additionally, two-time Vice-World Champion and European Champion Sanan Suleymanov will also be aiming to win his first medal in Paris.

The freestyle wrestling team is expected to dominate the tournament in at least two weight categories. Turan Bayramov, a 23-year-old wrestler with a consistent track record at the European Championships, will aim for his first senior gold medal. Additionally, the freestyle wrestling team has been strengthened by the addition of European Champion Magomedkhan Magomedov. Though hailing from Dagestan in Russia’s Northern Caucasus, he has been allowed to compete under the Azerbaijani flag this year.

Azerbaijani judokas are gaining prominence not just in Europe, but globally as well. It is anticipated that at least two judokas will contend for the Olympic gold medal. 2024 has been particularly successful for Hidayet Heydarov, who clinched both the European and World Championships, so securing the Olympic gold would solidify his status as a legend not only in Azerbaijani judo but also on the world stage. Another contender with potential to secure gold for Azerbaijan is World and European Judo Champion Zelym Kotsoiev, who triumphed at this year’s World Championship.

Azerbaijan's national flag bearer, Muhammad Abdullayev, is a super heavyweight boxer and Vice-European Champion. He is considered one of the favourites to win at least a bronze medal, having placed third in two World Championships in 2021 and 2023.

Azerbaijan expects to win at least seven medals in Paris, aiming to repeat the results of Tokyo 2020.

Georgia

Georgia will be represented by twenty-eight athletes at the Paris Olympics. The flag bearers for the opening ceremony will be two-time Olympic Champion and record-breaking weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze, as well as sport shooter and Olympic Champion Nino Salukvadze (Seoul 1988), who will be participating in her tenth Olympic Games.

Weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze is expected to win a gold medal as he competes mostly against himself, consistently breaking his own records. Talakhadze, a two-time Olympic Champion, is also a seven-time European and World Champion.

The Georgia judo team will compete in both individual and team events at the Olympics for the first time. Coach Lasha Gujejiani aims to win gold medals in all weight categories for the men’s team. The team includes veterans like Lasha Shavdatuashvili and Guram Tushishvili, and there are great expectations for younger talents Tato Grigalashvili and Lasha Bekauri. Grigalashvili, a three-time World and European Champion in the 81 kg category, is the reigning European and World Champion. Lasha Bekauri competes in the 90kg category and is the reigning Olympic champion. The 90kg category in judo is considered a Georgian specialty, with three gold and one silver medal won by Georgians since 2004.

Georgia is also well-known for its wrestling traditions. This year, freestyle wrestling heavyweight Geno Petriashvili, a three-time World and two-time European champion, will strive to add gold to his collection of Olympic silver and bronze medals. Givi Matcharashvili, a two-time European champion, will compete for gold in the 97 kg weight class.

Additionally, Sandro Bazadze, a two-time European Champion and Vice-World Champion fencer, will participate in his third Olympic Games. In Tokyo, he lost in the semifinals and aims to make history this year.

The Georgian Olympic team's motto remains "Better than the previous Olympics." Fans hope the team will win at least three gold medals, as well as numerous bronze and silver medals this year.

Caucasus Hopes

The XXXIII Summer Olympics are not just a showcase of athletic excellence but also a significant moment for South Caucasian countries to assert their presence on the global stage. For Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, the Games provide a unique opportunity for national pride and international recognition. These countries, with their distinct sports histories and traditions, aim to leverage the Olympics for political and public diplomacy, enhancing their global profiles and fostering national unity. As they compete, these nations will not only seek athletic success but also strive to strengthen their international standing and showcase their cultural and political significance on a world stage.

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^{[1] The UN and Olympic definition of countries are different}

^{[2] Before 1996, the three countries competed together within a combined team, as the USSR till 1988, then as a “Unified team” in 1992 after the Soviet Union had collapsed}