It was Luka Mkheidze’s second European title at the European Senior Championships in Tbilisi and it
was as special as his first one: In 2023, the Frenchman won at home in France and now, three years
later, he claimed the second gold again on home soil as he is originally from Georgia.
“Georgia is my second home and I am very happy to fight here in the final with a Georgian judoka,” Mkheidze said. “Giorgi [Sardalashvili] is very strong. When I saw him this morning, he told me that it would be very good if we fight in the final today and this is what we did. I respect him a lot.”
Mkheidze moved to France in 2010 as a teenager but he ties to his country of birth remain strong. “I knew that I had a lot of family and friends at my side, I heard them and that helped me a lot during the day,” the Frenchman said. “My first judo coach from Georgia is here [in Tbilisi], too.
“Unfortunately, he was sick and unable to come today but I will go and see him after the competition
to thank him for guiding me and getting me started in judo.”
The 30-year-old was especially pleased to follow up on teammate Shirine Boukli’s success in the women’s -48kg to give France their second gold of the day. “I am so happy for Shirine. We are in the same club in the Paris region. I signed with this club last September and I am very proud of winning this first medal, this first title for my new club,” he explained.
“We have been competing together for many years now and she [Boukli] is always the first one to fight and to get a medal,” Mkheidze continued. “And then it’s always me coming after her, so I follow her all the time. I am very happy for her and for the French team.”
Author: Tatjana Flade
Author: EJU Media