Georgia’s women are reshaping the nation’s judo story

Georgia has long been one of judo’s powerhouses, built on Olympic, world and European success. Now that proud tradition is expanding in a new direction. The women’s side is no longer in the background.

At the heart of that shift stands Eteri Liparteliani. As a world and European champion, she has become more than a medal winner for Georgia. Her results have helped turn women’s judo into something visible, credible and inspiring inside a country that for years focused far more on men’s success.

That change did not happen quickly. In 2010, Giorgi Tenadze took charge of the women’s program and began building almost from scratch. According to him, the early phase was especially tough, with some girls arriving from other sports rather than from an established judo system.

The first clear progress appeared in cadet and junior categories. A major moment came at the 2015 European Olympic Youth Festival in Georgia, where Mzia Beboshvili and Eteri Liparteliani both became champions. Success at home gave the project a different energy and helped convince more families to look at judo as a real path.

Home success gave the program a new level of belief.

Another turning point came with the mixed team format. Once men and women had to contribute together, developing the women’s side became essential for national success. That shift seems to have accelerated support and raised the stakes for everyone involved.

The breakthrough became impossible to ignore in 2025. Georgia won the mixed team event at the European Championships and then claimed the world title for the first time. In the same year, Liparteliani became the first female world champion from Georgia, while the team also received the EJU’s Best European Mixed Team Award 2025.

From a European perspective, that makes this story especially striking. Georgia did not just produce one standout athlete; it built a team capable of winning at continental level and then going even further. Tenadze said around 500 girls are now practicing judo in the country.

What was once a weak point is now a driving force.

That number suggests something bigger than a short-term wave. Georgia’s women are not simply joining the nation’s judo history. They are actively changing it.

Source: EJU_News