27-year-old Georgia’s Nugzari Tsurtsumia, who won the world championship in 2019, has passed away.

Nugzari TSURTSUMIA, a 2019 world champion wrestler from Georgia, tragically passed away at the age of 27 in his hometown of Khobi. His untimely death has deeply saddened United World Wrestling and the entire wrestling community.

Tsurtsumia had recently competed in the Budapest Ranking Series in June, winning a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 55kg weight class. This was the same weight category in which he had previously won two silver and two bronze medals at the World Championships. He also had a successful record at the European Championships, earning four medals – one silver and three bronzes.

Throughout his career, Tsurtsumia achieved significant success at the age group level. He won medals at the U17, U20, and U23 European Championships, including gold medals at the U20 and U23 levels. He was also a world champion at the U23 level in 2018 and won silver and bronze medals at the U20 level.

However, Tsurtsumia’s most memorable accomplishment came at the 2019 World Championships in Nursultan, where he dominated the competition to become the world champion. His remarkable performance included outscoring his opponents 34-3 in four bouts, earning Georgia its first World Championships gold in 12 years.

The wrestling community is devastated by the loss of such a talented athlete. United World Wrestling, the Georgian Wrestling Federation, and fans worldwide extend their condolences to the Tsurtsumia family during this difficult time.