Lasha Shavdatuashvili, Tato Grigalashvili and Lasha Bekauri join Paris Saint-Germain Judo

Lasha Shavdatuashvili (-73 kg)

Born in Gori, Georgia, Lasha Shavdatuashvili very quickly burst onto the international scene by winning gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He would go on to confirm his status as a major player in his weight class a year later by coming out on top at the European Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

After moving up to the -73 kg category, Shavdatuashvili took home another Olympic medal in 2016, this time bagging the bronze in Rio de Janeiro. He would then make it onto the top step of the podium at the 2021 World Judo Championships, again in Budapest, before earning his third medal in as many Olympic appearances in July of that year, this time winning the silver in Tokyo and thereby completing his set of gold, silver and bronze.

As for his achievements this season, the 31-year-old triumphed at the Judo Grand Slam in Paris back in February before finishing third at the Grand Slam in Tbilisi, the capital city of his native Georgia, a month later.

Tato Grigalashvili (-81 kg)

Tata Grigalashvili has quickly established himself as one of the dominant athletes in the various categories in which he competes. At the tender age of 20, the man born in Gori, Georgia, became a European champion in 2020 in Prague, Czech Republic, before following it up with a silver medal at the World Judo Championships in Budapest a year later.

The new Rouge et Bleu recruit also enjoyed a successful 2022, earning himself another European Championships title, this time in Sofia, Bulgaria, before being crowned a world champion a few months later in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

In May of this year, Grigalashvili retained his world title in the -81 kg category in Doha, just three months after taking home the gold medal at the Judo Grand Slam in Paris. The 23-year-old left-hander also boasts two consecutive Judo World Masters titles – one coming in 2021 in Doha and the other coming in 2022 in Jerusalem, Israel – as well as six Grand Prix podium finishes (including two on the top step) and seven Grand Slam podium finishes (also including two on the top step).

Lasha Bekauri (-90 kg)

Born in Arkhiloskalo, Georgia, Lasha Bekauri won gold in the -90 kg category at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, thereby following up his gold-medal win at the European Judo Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, just a few months earlier.

In the spring of this year, the 23-year-old added to his gold-medal collection at the Judo Grand Slam in Tbilisi, the capital city of his native Georgia, before coming second at the World Judo Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Then, this summer and for the second time in his career, Bekauri came out on top at the Judo World Masters in Budapest, Hungary, following his 2019 Masters win in Qingdao, China. The right-hander has also finished on the podium at several Grand Slams, including a first-place finish in Tel Aviv in 2022 as well as the aforementioned victory in Tbilisi earlier this year.

"It’s hugely satisfying to see Lasha Shavdatuashvili, Tato Grigalashvili and Lasha Bekauri joining Paris Saint-Germain, as we're talking about three of the best judokas in their respective categories. All of them have already won plenty of honours, including Olympics titles for the two Lashas and several world titles for Tato. Their arrival will help to reinforce the competitive spirit within our talented and ambitious squad, and their contribution will be a real bonus for us in our upcoming competitions."
Djamel Bouras, President of Paris Saint-Germain Judo