South Caucasian Countries at the Paris Olympics: A Retrospective on Key Performances

^{Image: Franck Legros/Shutterstock}

At the 2024 Paris Olympics performances, the South Caucasian countries fared impressively for their relatively modest sizes with four medals for Armenia, seven for Azerbaijan and nine for Georgia including Lasha Talakhadze’s historic third gold in weightlifting.

Armenia

^{Image: Fb}

Armenia recorded three silver and one bronze medal in weightlifting, gymnastics, and Greco-Roman wrestling, scoring 66^th place alongside Colombia in the Medal Table. Armenia improved the results of Tokyo  2020 (one silver and three bronze).

The first medallist from Armenia was Artur Davtyan, who qualified for the Olympic Games as the highest eligible athlete in all-around gymnastics. He was one of the favourites to win the gold medal. However, he was unable to outscore Carlos Yulo from the Philippines, who was in phenomenal form, winning two gold medals at the Olympics in men’s vault and floor.

Artur "White Bear" Aleksanyan participated in his fourth Olympic Games at the age of 32 and won his fourth medal in 97 kg category. He is one of the most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers in the history of Armenia. He made his debut at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and won a bronze medal. Four years later, he became the Olympic champion in Rio de Janeiro. Similar to the Tokyo Olympics, Aleksanyan lost in the final in Paris and missed another chance to become a two-time Olympic champion.

Malkhas Amoyan, a Greco-Roman wrestler, earned a medal at the Paris Olympic Games. He was defeated in the semi-finals of the 77kg category by the Japanese wrestler Nao Kusaka. He went on to compete for the bronze medal, where he succeeded in defeating Aram Vardanyan, a wrestler of Armenian descent who was representing Uzbekistan.

Armenia won its fourth and final medal when Varazdat Lalayan, a heavyweight weightlifter, closely competed against Lasha Talakhadze, a three-time Olympic gold medallist from Georgia. Unfortunately, Varazdat Lalayan secured only second place. It's worth noting that Gor Minasyan, another weightlifter of Armenian descent representing Bahrain, won the bronze medal and shared stage with Lalayan.

Azerbaijan

^{Image: Idman.biz}

Azerbaijan recorded two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals in weightlifting, gymnastics, and Greco-Roman wrestling, scoring 30^th place alongside Croatia in the Medal Table. Azerbaijan improved the results of Tokyo 2020 (3 silver, 4 bronze).

The rise of Azerbaijan in Judo was solidified at the Paris Olympic Games, with the country clinching two gold medals in the 73 kg and 100 kg weight classes. Hidayet Heydarov, at the age of 27, emerged as a legendary figure in the sport by achieving a remarkable feat in 2024, winning the European Championship, World Championship, and Olympic Games.

In another impressive display, Zelym Kotsoiev secured victory over Georgian Ilia Sulamanidze in the final, becoming the reigning World and Olympic champion in 2024. Notably, Sulamanidze seemed to have the upper hand during the match, but Kotsoev managed to snatch victory away from him in the end due to the third shido.

Gashim Magomedov won a silver medal for Azerbaijan in Taekwondo. He delivered a performance worthy of a gold medal, but an early injury plagued him as Tae-Joon Park dominated him on his way to winning the gold medal in the men's flyweight taekwondo event for South Korea.

Loren Alfonso, the Cuban-Azerbaijani heavyweight boxer, enjoyed an impressive winning streak throughout the competition. However, in the final, he faced Mullojonov and was narrowly defeated with a 5-0 decision, earning him a well-deserved silver medal and a second-place finish.

Twenty-one-year-old Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestler Hasrat Jafarov secured a bronze medal in the 67 kg division at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In the semi-finals, Jafarov was on the verge of victory but narrowly lost to Ukrainian wrestler Parviz Nasibov, with the match ending in a 3-3 draw. According to the rules, in the event of a tie, the wrestler who scores the last point is declared the winner, allowing Nasibov to advance. Jafarov then competed for the bronze medal, delivering a dominant performance by defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Amantur Ismailov 8-0. Considering his young age, Jafarov is expected to have many more opportunities to pursue Olympic gold in future games.

Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers made a strong showing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, earning two bronze medals. In the 97 kg division, Magomedkhan Magomedov reached the semi-finals but was defeated by Georgian wrestler Givi Matcharashvili. Magomedov then faced Ukrainian wrestler Bohdan Mchedlidze in the bronze medal match, where he emerged victorious.

Meanwhile, Giorgi Meshvildishvili, a heavyweight wrestler of Georgian descent representing Azerbaijan, also claimed a bronze medal. After losing to Georgian Olympic champion Geno Petriashvili in the semi-finals, Meshvildishvili bounced back to defeat Poland’s Robert Baran. In a poignant moment following Petriashvili’s gold medal win and the playing of the Georgian national anthem, Meshvildishvili placed his hand over his heart and joined in singing the anthem alongside Petriashvili, showcasing a deep connection to his roots.

Georgia