Zurabi Datunashvili

{{Infobox sport wrestler

| name = Zurabi Datunashvili

| image = Zurab Datunashvili (cropped).JPG

| imagesize =

| caption = Datunashvili at 2021 World Wrestling Championships

| full_name =

| nationality = {{GEO}}
{{SRB}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|6|18|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Tbilisi, Georgia, Soviet Union

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 1.83 m

| weight = 87 kg

| website =

| country =

| style = Greco-Roman

| club = National Club of Georgia

| coach = Viliam Charazov

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{SRB}}}}

File:Olympic rings.svg

{{MedalCountry|{{GEO}}}}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Zurabi Datunashvili ({{lang-ka|ზურაბ დათუნაშვილი}}, {{langx|sr|{{lang|sr-Cyrl|Зураб Датунашвили}} / {{lang|sr-Latn|Zurab Datunašvili}}}}; born 18 June 1991) is a Georgian-born Serbian former Greco-Roman wrestler who competed in the men's middleweight category.{{cite web |title=Zurabi Datunashvili |url=http://www.london2012.com/athlete/datunashvili-zurabi-1029794/ |website=London2012.com |publisher=The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited |access-date=6 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402121450/http://www.london2012.com/athlete/datunashvili-zurabi-1029794/ |archive-date=2013-04-02 |url-status=dead}}{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Zurabi Datunashvili |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/da/zurabi-datunashvili-1.html |access-date=6 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205210631/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/da/zurabi-datunashvili-1.html |archive-date=2013-02-05 |url-status=dead}}

Career

He won a silver medal in the same weight division at the 2013 European Wrestling Championships, coincidentally in his home city Tbilisi, losing out to defending Olympic champion Roman Vlasov of Russia.{{cite news |title=Gegeshidze Won Silver Medal |url=http://www.worldsport.ge/en/page/gegeshidze-won-silver-medal |publisher=World Sport Georgia |access-date=24 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610173327/http://www.worldsport.ge/en/page/gegeshidze-won-silver-medal |archive-date=2016-06-10 |url-status=live |quote=Zurab Datunashvili}}

Datunashvili represented Georgia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he competed in the men's 74 kg class. He defeated South Korea's Kim Jin-Hyeok, and United States' Ben Provisor in the preliminary rounds, before losing out the quarterfinal match to Azerbaijan's Emin Ahmadov, with a three-set technical score (3–0, 0–3, 0–4), and a classification point score of 1–3.{{cite web |title=Men's 74kg Greco-Roman Quarterfinals |url=http://www.london2012.com/wrestling/event/men-greco-roman-74kg/match=wrm174304/index.html |website=London2012.com |publisher=London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games |access-date=6 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401224812/http://www.london2012.com/wrestling/event/men-greco-roman-74kg/match=wrm174304/index.html |archive-date=2013-04-01 |url-status=dead |quote=Zurabi Datunashvili}}{{cite news |last=d'Amato |first=Gary |title=Provisor eliminated, but not discouraged |url=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/etc/no-takedown-here-286cf92-165087066.html |publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=5 August 2012 |access-date=6 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807235950/http://www.jsonline.com/sports/etc/no-takedown-here-286cf92-165087066.html |archive-date=2012-08-07 |url-status=live |quote=Zurabi Datunashvili}}

In World Wrestling Championships 2014 for bronze medal in the 75 kg he lost to Elvin Mursaliyev of Azerbaijan (1—1).

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he was knocked out in the first round by Doszhan Kartikov.

In November 2016, Datunashvili was disqualified from the 2016 European Cup of Nations after engaging in a mid-match fist fight with his Russian opponent, Imil Sharafetdinov, who was also disqualified. The fist fight descended into a brawl after the two wrestlers' coaches, as well as several fans, joined the melee. "The guys just failed to cope with their emotions, but they swiftly calmed themselves down and were shaking hands several minutes afterward," Gogi Koguashvili, the head coach of the Russian national wrestling team, later remarked.{{cite web |last=Bakh |first=Maria |date=21 November 2016 |title=Russian and Georgian Wrestlers Disqualified in 2016 European Cup of Nations |website=CBW |url=https://old.cbw.ge/entertainment/russian-and-georgian-wrestlers-disqualified-in-2016-european-cup-of-nations/ |access-date=6 August 2021}}

In 2018, Datunashvili accused the Georgian Wrestling Federation of favouritism and corruption. On 11 January 2019, he was assaulted by Gega Gegeshidze, the president of the Georgian Wrestling Federation, following a match with Robert Kobliashvili which Datunashvili lost by referee's decision. The incident was captured on video. "I don't want him [Gegeshidze] to be arrested, I want him to resign," Datunashvili later told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "He's not man enough to speak the truth, but I feel that truth will prevail. Everyone saw that he hit me with a blunt metal object of some kind." On 20 January, the Georgian Police announced they were opening an investigation into the incident.{{cite web |last=Maglakelidze |first=Oto |date=22 January 2019 |title=Georgian Wrestler Hopes Federation President Down For The Count After Clash |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/georgian-wrestler-hopes-federation-president-down-for-the-count-after-clash/29724998.html |access-date=6 August 2021}}

In 2020, he won one of the bronze medals in the 87 kg event at the Individual Wrestling World Cup held in Belgrade, Serbia.{{Cite web |title=2020 Individual Wrestling World Cup Results Book |url=https://unitedworldwrestling.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/2020-iwc-belgrade-final-book.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218212337/https://unitedworldwrestling.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/2020-iwc-belgrade-final-book.pdf |archive-date=18 December 2020 |access-date=18 December 2020 |website=unitedworldwrestling.org |publisher=United World Wrestling}}

In 2021, he won a bronze medal in Tokyo, at the Olympic games for the Serbian national team.

In 2022, he won the silver medal in his event at the Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan Tournament held in Istanbul, Turkey.{{Cite web |title=2022 Yasar Dogu, Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan Tournament Results Book |url=https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2022-03/final-book-ranking-series-istambul-2022-light.pdf?VersionId=BMipbXFVxzXXeonWOfeVdKVeNlWlxYzt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302085143/https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2022-03/final-book-ranking-series-istambul-2022-light.pdf?VersionId=BMipbXFVxzXXeonWOfeVdKVeNlWlxYzt |archive-date=2 March 2022 |access-date=2 March 2022 |website=UWW.org |publisher=United World Wrestling}} He won the gold medal in the 87{{nbsp}}kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.{{Cite web |title=2022 World Wrestling Championships Results Book |url=https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2022-09/final-book-2022-senior-world-championships_compressed.pdf?VersionId=zoTz_Ra8zK5EkVhfrZuDG5THXf4.3ik. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918183512/https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2022-09/final-book-2022-senior-world-championships_compressed.pdf?VersionId=zoTz_Ra8zK5EkVhfrZuDG5THXf4.3ik. |archive-date=18 September 2022 |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=United World Wrestling}}

His retirement from professional wrestling was announced in 2023.

The Anti-doping Section of the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Datunashvili violated anti-doping rules by using a prohibited method and falsification and sentenced him to 5 years of ineligibility and disqualification of all results since 27 May 2021.{{cite web |title=The ITA acknowledges CAS ADD decision sanctioning wrestler Zurabi Datunashvili for anti-doping rule violations |url=https://ita.sport/news/the-ita-acknowledges-cas-add-decision-sanctioning-wrestler-zurabi-datunashvili-for-anti-doping-rule-violations/ |publisher=ita.sport |access-date=23 December 2024}} The disqualification and reallocation of results is suspended pending an appeal against part of the decision.

Personal life

A supporter of the former president Mikheil Saakashvili, Datunashvili dedicated him his 2021 World Championship medal.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-11 |title=Зураб Датунашвили посвятил свою победу на чемпионате мира Михаилу Саакашвили |url=https://www.ekhokavkaza.com/a/31502918.html |access-date=2024-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011101501/https://www.ekhokavkaza.com/a/31502918.html |archive-date=11 October 2021 }} Datunashvili was arrested on 4 December 2024 during the ongoing pro-European protests in Georgia. He was released on 7 December.{{Cite web |last=FoNet |first=Dušan Mlađenović |date=2024-12-07 |title=Zurab Datunašvili pušten iz pritvora |url=https://n1info.rs/svet/zurab-datunasvili-pusten-iz-pritvora/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=N1 |language=sr-RS}} He is a member of the political council of the Ahali party.{{Cite web |title=ŠOK! Uhapšen Zurab Datunašvili, heroj Srbije sa Olimpijskih igara u Tokiju |url=https://www.novosti.rs/sport/ostali-sportovi/1436739/uhapsen-zurab-datunasvili-srbija-olimpijske-igre-gruzija-skandal |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=NOVOSTI |language=sr}}

References

External links

{{UWW|datunashvili-zurabi}}
{{sports links}}
[http://www.wrestling.ge/Players/Player/133# Profile at National Wrestling Federation of Georgia] {{in lang|ka}}

Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:Serbian people of Georgian descent

Category:Serbian male sport wrestlers

Category:Male sport wrestlers from Georgia (country)

Category:Olympic wrestlers for Georgia (country)

Category:Olympic wrestlers for Serbia

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Serbia

Category:Olympic medalists in wrestling

Category:Wrestlers at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Wrestlers at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:Wrestlers at the 2020 Summer Olympics