Lasha out of World Championships and into parliament. Weightlifting’s biggest name must choose – sport, politics or both
Lasha Talakhadze will miss the IWF World Championships for the first time since 2015. He has barely trained since winning his third Olympic title in Paris three months ago and is not among the final entries for Bahrain, where the 2024 World Championships run from December 6-15. Instead of being in the gym the Georgian super-heavyweight, who is the most successful weightlifter of the 21st century and arguably the sport’s most popular athlete, has been focusing on politics. He is due to become a Member of Parliament just before the World Championships start and is considering a new career in that field. Whether Lasha, 31, can work in politics and prolong his weightlifting career remains to be seen. When asked about his future priorities by the Georgian news website Politico, Lasha said, “The two are not incompatible. Lasha lifting for the gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics “Currently, I don’t train because of injury. At the moment, my country needs me. Georgia Dream is exactly the power that our country needs, which will maintain peace and unity in Georgia. “We’ll see what will be in the future … I’ve always stood by my country and will continue to do so in whatever capacity I’m needed.” Georgia’s Weightlifting Federation president, Kakhi Kakhiashvili, is hoping Lasha will return to the gym, win another European title in his own country in 2026 and keep competing until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. By Lasha’s own admission in an interview last year, Kakhi and Georgia’s national coach Giorgi Asanidze have been the two biggest influences on his career. Like Lasha, Kakhi won three Olympic gold medals and is one of weightlifting’s all-time greats. Kakhi said, “Lasha visited the gym a few times but is far from complete training. I’ve heard in several interviews that he wants to continue, but in other conversations he has mentioned transitioning to politics and working in a new field. “He reminds me of an adolescent in a transition period, where it’s essential to have good advisors by his side to make the right steps. “My goal and dream is for him to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics. He has the potential and the chance to become the most decorated weightlifter in the world in terms of Olympic medals. “I know from my personal experience that if one does not show up in the gym for six or seven months and does not start training at least once or twice a week, chances for the next Olympic medals will decrease and run out in time. I will do my best for Lasha to win another gold at the next Olympics.” Georgia Dream, which won the election on October 26, has been the ruling party since 2012. It will have 89 Members of Parliament once the election results have been ratified, probably by the end of the month. This time it named national hero sportsmen in its top 10 choices for Members of Parliament. Lasha, who will be the voice of Georgian athletes in Parliament, was selected alongside the Olympic wrestling champion Geno Petriashvili. Georgia Dream’s top six on the MPs list comprised the party’s billionaire founder, incumbent ministers and other high-status politicians. Lasha was number seven, and Petriashvili number 10. Members of Georgia’s successful national football team also endorsed the party before its victory. None of this was mentioned after Lasha’s victory in Paris, where he had said, “If my physical condition gives me the chance I will stay in this sport.” It was his first competition in 328 days, after knee injuries kept him off the platform. Later that evening Kakhi spoke of his plans to help Lasha towards becoming the only weightlifter ever to win four Olympic titles, and the first to make a 500kg total - 8kg more than Lasha’s current world record. “My plan is to host the European Championships in Georgia in 2026, probably in Batumi. That would be the setting for Lasha to make his 500,” Kakhi said. The first part of the Batumi plan came to fruition last month when the executive board of the European Weightlifting Federation awarded the 2026 continental championships to Georgia. “As you know, we have experience in organising similar events,” said Kakhi. “Our championship will be unique and outstanding, just as it was in 2019. The then-President of the EWF, Antonio Urso, referred to our championship as ‘the Championship of the Future’. Since then, our know-how has been attractive to several other championship organisers. “I hope that Lasha will achieve his dream of 500kg in Batumi.” Realistically, could it still happen? “If he starts training, yes. If he doesn’t start within six months, then no.” Asked about Georgia’s future in weightlifting if Lasha is no longer competing, Kakhi said, “Naturally, the team suffers a significant loss without Lasha, but I’m confident that Lasha will do everything he can to support the development of the sport, wherever he may be and in whatever position he may hold. “We have a new generation growing up, which has already brought us pride on the international stage, and our goal is to continue nurturing athletes that will make our country proud.” In his nine-year unbeaten run, Lasha has never totalled less than the 454kg which won the 2015 world title and began the sequence. He has won every world and Olympic title since then, setting more than 20 world records along the way. His absence next month leaves the host nation’s Gor Minasyan joint top of the entries, on 460kg, with Varazdat Lalayan from Armenia. Lalayan was second behind Lasha in Paris and Minasyan third, respectively on 467kg and 461kg. By Brian Oliver
