19-Year-Old Georgian Athlete Wins Paralympic Bronze

Ana Japaridze, the youngest Georgian athlete at the Paris Paralympics, won bronze in taekwondo, giving the country its first medal at the Games.

In her first match, the 19-year-old Georgian defeated Ariana Paola Aguila Ramos of the United States, advancing to the quarterfinals. She then defeated 2020 Paralympic Games vice champion Meryem Betül Çavdar of Turkey. Japaridze claimed bronze after losing to Zahra Rahimi of Iran in the semifinals.

Georgia has 14 athletes competing in six different sports at the Paris Paralympics.

Ana Japaridze is the third female Georgian athlete to win a Paralympic medal. At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Nina Tibilashvili, a wheelchair fencer, and Ina Kaldani, a visually impaired Georgian Paralympic judoka, both won silver medals.

Georgia finished the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a total of seven medals and secured 24th place in the overall team standings.

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