Kakhi Kakhiashvili

Akakios Kakiasvilis

Personal information
Birth name	Kakhi Kakhiashvili
Nationality	Georgian
Born	(1969-07-13) July 13, 1969 (age 47) Tskhinvali, Georgian SSR
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Sport
Sport	Weightlifting
Medal record Men's weightlifting Representing  Georgia Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona -90 kg World Championships 1993 Melbourne –91 kg European Championships 1992 Szekszard –90 kg 1993 Sofia –91 kg 1994 Sokolov –91 kg Representing  Greece Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta -99 kg 2000 Sydney -94 kg World Championships 1994 Istanbul -91 kg 1995 Guangzhou -99 kg 1998 Lahti -94 kg 1999 Athens -94 kg European Championships 1995 Warsaw –91 kg 1996 Stavanger –99 kg 1998 Riesa –94 kg 1999 Lacoruna –94 kg

Kakhi Kakhiashvili (Georgian: კახი კახიაშვილი, Greek: Ακάκιος Κακιασβίλης; born 13 July 1969 in Tskhinvali, South Ossetian AO, Georgian SSR, USSR) is a Georgian-Greek weightlifter, is one of only four weightlifters to have won three consecutive gold medals at Olympic Games. He won his first at Barcelona 1992, competing with the Unified Team, and later as a citizen of Greece at Atlanta 1996 and in Sydney 2000. He won three Senior World Championships (1995, 1998, 1999), was twice a silver medalist at the Senior World Championships (1993 and 1994), and set seven world records during his career.

Kakhiashvili was born in Tskhinvali, Georgia, to a Georgian father and a Greek mother, Maria Lamprianidi. He is renowned in weightlifting circles primarily because when he lifted for Georgia, he went against the instructions of his Coach Vasily Alexeev, the all-time weightlifting great. His coach wanted a Russian boy to take the contest and did not let Kakhiashvili try to lift heavier to beat the Russian. Kakhi however ordered a full extra 10 kilos to be put on in order to beat his Russian teammate. He won, lifting the weight in a spectacular fashion that established his right to the title of one of the sports elite lifters. Kakhiashvili is also renowned in weightlifting circles for his uncanny ability to lift exactly what was required to win. Dubbed as a "computer" by some competitors, he also had the ability to block out everything that was not relevant to the competition at hand.

...
Wikipedia