Rostom Abashidze

Rostom Abashidze, also written Rost'om Omeris Abashidze, is a retired Greco-Roman wrestler from Georgia who competed for the Soviet Union in the light-heavyweight class. Born on 23 February 1935, he trained first in swimming and association football before turning to wrestling. He won the world title in 1958, 1962 and 1963 and placed fifth at the 1964 Summer Olympics. After finishing secondary school in Batumi he moved to Tbilisi, studied at the Georgian Technical University and later defended a doctorate in construction engineering. Shortly before the 1964 Games he fell ill with hepatitis A and never fully recovered, and he retired after the Olympics to coach wrestling in Georgia and later held executive posts in the construction industry.