1. Life and Early Career
Dato Marsagishvili's journey in wrestling began at a young age, guided by family influence, and quickly progressed through national ranks to international competition.
1.1. Early Life and Introduction to Wrestling
Dato Marsagishvili was born on March 30, 1991, in Stepantsminda, a town located in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of Georgia. His introduction to the sport of wrestling occurred early, in 1997, under the guidance of his father, Levan Marsagishvili. He demonstrated a significant aptitude for wrestling from his middle school years, showing promise as a future athlete.
1.2. Junior and Senior National Team Debut
Marsagishvili's early talent quickly translated into national recognition. In 2007, he earned a spot on the Georgian youth national team, marking his official entry into competitive wrestling at a higher level. His consistent performance and development led to his promotion to the senior Georgian national team in 2010, positioning him for major international competitions.
2. Competitive Career
Marsagishvili's competitive career is marked by several significant medal wins across various international wrestling championships, including the European Championships, World Championships, and the Olympic Games.
2.1. European Championships
Dato Marsagishvili demonstrated consistent success at the European Wrestling Championships. He earned his first senior international gold medal at the 2012 European Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia, in March 2012, competing in the 185 lb (84 kg) category. Prior to this, he had secured a silver medal at the 2011 European Wrestling Championships in Dortmund, Germany, also in the 185 lb (84 kg) division. His dominance continued as he claimed another gold medal at the 2013 European Wrestling Championships held in Tbilisi, his home country of Georgia, again in the 185 lb (84 kg) category. Later in his career, he added a bronze medal at the 2016 European Wrestling Championships in Riga, Latvia, competing in the 190 lb (86 kg) category.
2.2. World Championships
Marsagishvili's performance on the global stage was highlighted by his achievement at the World Wrestling Championships. He earned a bronze medal at the 2011 World Wrestling Championships held in Istanbul, Turkey, competing in the 185 lb (84 kg) men's freestyle wrestling category.
2.3. Olympic Games
Dato Marsagishvili participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, United Kingdom, representing Georgia in the men's 185 lb (84 kg) freestyle wrestling category. During the competition, he initially defeated Mongolia's Orgoholdoling Uitumeng. However, he subsequently lost in the quarterfinals to Jaime Espinal of Puerto Rico. Due to Espinal's advancement to the final, Marsagishvili was given an opportunity to compete in the repechage rounds. He successfully navigated these rounds, first winning against Andrew Dick of Nigeria via walkover, and then defeating Soslan Gattsiev of Belarus. His victories in the repechage matches secured him a prestigious bronze medal at the Games.
3. Retirement
Dato Marsagishvili concluded his career in Olympic wrestling in 2021. Following this decision, he no longer competed for a spot to represent Georgia in the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic.