August 3, 2025
Eter Liparteliani | The One Who Never Stopped
The World Judo Championship held in Hungary was historic for Georgia: our team became the gold medalist for the first time at the mixed team championship and ended Japan's hegemony, which had not been relinquished for seven consecutive tournaments.
There is no doubt that the main statement among Georgian judokas was made by Eter Liparteliani. Among the selection made by Lasha Gujejian and Giorgi Tenadze, she was the only one who finished all her matches in both individual and mixed competitions with victories, becoming the first Georgian woman to complete the World Judo Championship with a gold medal. This was Eter Liparteliani's tournament: she held 9 matches, winning 8 of them by ippon.
“I wanted to hear the anthem of Georgia in Budapest.” Liparteliani dedicated the victory to her homeland, but let’s not forget that this was her personal victory. She always believed that she could achieve more and that she had not yet reached her goal. She worked tirelessly, never stopped, and believed that the main victory awaited her ahead.
What creates success? Let’s ask people, if you will – artificial intelligence. In response, we will hear numerous alternatives, but the most about those who have conquered themselves and did not allow failure to cast doubt on their abilities. As the legendary Michael Jordan says, he missed over 9,000 shots, lost in over 300 games, and it was through this that he achieved success.
Eter Liparteliani's path is similar. She is a two-time world and European champion among youth, holder of the European Youth Cup, but youth tournaments and fifth place in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics were never enough for her: she dreamed of the highest podium.
We, the fans, see the victory from the screens, behind which lies a road full of hardships. Endless strength, enthusiasm dedicated to daily training, resilience, and steadfastness… Where does all this come from? Liparteliani's response is: “This is probably the essence of life – always have a goal and strive toward it.”
Eter, also known as Etho Liparteliani. Etho, Kvara, Mamarza, and others… The power of sports is such that unknown people become close to us. We allow ourselves to call them as our friends or relatives, to support and worry about them like family members, and to share their victories. And indeed, this is a victory for the country, as such pages of history provide us with a clear example: Eter Liparteliani is the first Georgian World Champion, and today, whether a woman or girl engaged in judo or any other activity, whether a man or boy, everyone knows: if you do not stop, great success is possible for everyone.
