Under the Resolution issued by the International Weightlifting Federation, an awarding ceremony of the best world athlete of 2017, the Olympic, World and European champion, the world record holder Lasha Talakhadze will be held in Tbilisi on 8 May 2018. Besides, the best sportswoman of 2017, the world champion, a Spaniard athlete Lidia Valentine will be awarded too at the stated ceremony.

Under the Resolution issued by the International Weightlifting Federation, an awarding ceremony of the best world athlete of 2017, the Olympic, World and European champion, the world record holder Lasha Talakhadze will be held in Tbilisi on 8 May 2018. Besides, the best sportswoman of 2017, the world champion, a Spaniard athlete Lidia Valentine will be awarded too at the stated ceremony.

According to the poll results conducted by the International Weightlifting Federation which has been conducting since 1982, he is the first Georgian weightlifter who had ever won the competition. Lasha Talakhadze, based on the polling results conducted among his fans, has been recognized as the world-class athlete and 9 804 interviewees cast a vote to him.

The Weightlifting Federation reports that it is the first precedent when an awarding ceremony of the world-class athlete is conducted in Georgia. After conducting the European Championship and the World Youth Championship, the stated event represents an additional success for our country.

Rompetrol Georgia would like to congratulate Lasha Talakhadze with this title of a world-class athlete once again. We are proud that one of the strongest sportsman in the world is a Georgian athlete. A way towards the success is always full of steady and diligent work and requires a lot of efforts and toil, and this success of Lasha Talakhadze has been recognized all over the world. Within the corporate social responsibility, Rompetrol pays a great attention to the sport support, that is expressed in supporting various sport activities. We express our gratitude to the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, and we are proud of supporting such a successful sport type“, – declares General Director of Rompetrol Georgia, Zamanbek Mirzayanov.

“Organizing the awarding ceremony of the best athlete of the year in Tbilisi proves recognition of the Georgian weightlifter to the greater extent. This is a kind of respect towards our country, as well as towards Weightlifting Federation of our country, and towards our Olympic Champion Lasha Talakhadze. I would like to take an opportunity and express my gratitude to all the fans of Lasha Talakhadze for their voting and to the supporter of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation – Rompetrol Georgia for close and fruitful collaboration within the past period”, - states President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, Kakhi Kakhiashvili.

According to the Federation, additional organizational details and location of holding the ceremony will be known in the nearest future. The awarding ceremony will be transmitted in live and covered by representatives of local and international mass media.

Rompetrol Georgia is the general sponsor of Georgian Weightlifting Federation and an active supporter of Georgian sport for four years.