(28 July 1996; Day 9)
When the competitors took the stage for the group A final of the 99kg division of weightlifting Sunday at the Centennial Olympic Games, it may have seemed more like a family reunion. Amazingly, all 10 of the group A finalists once trained and competed for former Soviet republics. On this day at the Georgia World Congress Center, they would represent seven different nations, four of which were competing in Olympic weightlifting for the first time.
``I think of the Russians like brothers,'' said gold medalist Akakide KAKHIASHVILIS a former Soviet now competing for and living in Greece.
KAKHIASHVILIS' own story is an intruging one. In Barcelona four years, he won the first ever Olympic medal for his native Georgia -- the republic, not the state which is hosting the Centennial Games -- competing under the name of Kakhi KAKHIACHVILI. He defeated Uzbekistan's Sergei SYRTSOV on his final lift, setting a world record in the process.
But back home in Georgia, not even a hero like KAKHIASHVILIS could escape the harsh realities of life following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
``When I returned to Georgia, I lived there for one year,'' he said. ``The conditions there are so bad. We have had two wars. They have nothing -- no gyms to train in, no equipment and no money.
``A cousin of mine lived in Greece and he told me training conditions are very, very good. After one year, I visited Greece and found the conditions very good to continue my career as a weightlifter.''
His results during the last three years would seem to indicate that he made the right decision. He won the European championships in 1993 and 1995 (to go with his 1992 title) and finished second at the world championships in 1993 and 1995.
``My mother is Greek and I am proud to compete for my second country,'' he said.
In Greece, weighlifting is a tremendous source of national pride. The sport draws tremendous coverage in both the print and electronic media and champions such as KAKHIASHVILIS and Pyrros DIMAS, the gold medalist at 83 kg at these Games, are national heroes. With two more classifications yet to compete, Greek lifters have already won two gold and three silver medals in Atlanta.
``When we came home from Barcelona where Greece had won gold medals in weightlifting and athletics, we drove through streets lined by hundreds of thousands of people,'' recalled Yannis SGOUROS, president of the Greek Weightlifting Federation. ``I believe that there might be even more people out there when we return from Atlanta. We're in for a celebration unprecedented in Greek history.''
KAKHIASVILIS is more than happy to be a part of the festivities. He has even taken up the unofficial rallying cry of Greek weightlifters during these Games: bring the Games to Athens in 2004.
Yet KAKHIASVILIS has not forgotten his roots nor his former countrymen and other lifters with whom he trained and competed who now representing other nations.
``We are all the students of this big school,'' he said of the former Soviets who have dominated the field at these Games. ``The success of the sportsmen from former Soviet republics is not a success of the Soviet system, but a success of the weightlifting program.''
At the Centennial Olympic Games, that success is on display for the entire world to witness.
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Mark Vinson.
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| The Mother Nature was kind to Olympic athletes and spectators. The average high temperature during the Games was 89 degrees with an average low of 72 degrees. Highest temperature registered (20 July) - 99 degrees. Lowest high temperature registered is 79 degrees (28 July). |