The 52-year-old Georgian sports shooter Nino Salukvadze appeared in her ninth Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo, becoming the first female athlete in Olympic history to do so.
Salukvadze first competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, winning a gold medal in the women’s 25-metre sporting pistol competition and silver in the women’s 10-metre air pistol competition. Since then, she has appeared in every subsequent Olympic Games, going on to win a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Salukvadze is a remarkable role model for all Georgians, particularly women. “Sports teaches us to love, not hate,” said Salukvadze in a recent interview. “I feel it is a proof of the hard work and struggle that I have been doing almost my entire life,” said the tireless Olympian.
In acknowledgement of her historic accomplishment and the barrier-breaking moment for female athletes, Salukvadze was given the honor of being one of Georgia’s two flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony.
In addition to Nino Salukvadze’s historic accomplishment, the Georgian Olympic team finished the Tokyo Olympic Games with a record number of medals. Record-breaking weightlifting star Lasha Talakhadze and judoka Lasha Bekauri both won gold medals. In total, Georgia received two gold, five silver and one bronze from the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.