Interesting facts about Georgian shooter Nino Salukvadze

She is set to become the second athlete to take part in 10 Olympic Games

Georgia’s pistol shooter Nino Salukvadze stole the spotlight once again and this time, it was on the stage of the European Games 2023. She did so by qualifying for her 10th straight Olympic Games in the multi-sport event which was providing quota for the Olympics. She booked a quota for Georgia’s NOC in the women’s 25m pistol shooting event, despite finishing outside of the top three.

Since Greece, Bulgaria, and Germany had previously secured a quota for the Summer Olympics, the 54-year-old Nino managed to earn the spot with a fourth-place finish. This is an incredible achievement as she would make her 10th appearance at the Olympics and equal the record of Ian Miller for most appearances in the history of the global event. As Nino embarks on her journey to script history for Georgia, let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the Georgian shooter.

6) Holds Junior World Record in women’s 25m pistol event

Representing the Soviet Union, Nino Salukvadze smashed the junior world record in the women’s individual 25m Pistol event, with a whopping score of 593 on July 13, 1989. This outstanding record remained untouched for 29 years until India’s Manu Bhaker equalled it on the stage of the prestigious Asian Games 2018. 

5) Represented three teams in Summer Olympics

During her nine appearances from 1988 to 2020, Nino Salukvadze competed for three teams - the Soviet Union, Unified Team (comprising teams that previously represented the Soviet Union), and Georgia. Nino Salukvadze was a member of the Soviet Union’s squad in the 1988 Seoul Olympics where she bagged two medals.

She then represented the Unified Team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Since the 1996 edition of the Olympics, she has been a regular member of Georgia’s Olympic squad, representing the nation in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.

4) First mother-son duo to compete in same edition of Olympics

Tsotne Machavariani, son of Nino Salukvadze, recorded a personal best performance in the men’s 10-meter air pistol individual event to win a Rio Olympics 2016 qualification berth at the European Championships in February. At the Rio 2016, Nino who was making her eighth consecutive appearance in the history of the Olympics, represented Georgia alongside her son Tsotne. With this, the pair became the first-ever mother-son duo to compete together in the same edition of the Olympics.

In the Rio Olympics, Nino came in third in the qualifications of the women’s 25m pistol with 584 points and finished sixth in the finals, while Machavariani couldn’t make it past the qualification rounds with a 15th place finish in the men’s 50 m pistol, scoring 552, and 29th in the men’s 10m air pistol, shooting a total of 574.

3) Flagbearer for Georgia twice at Olympics

Being one of the most accomplished athletes in the nation, Nino was chosen as the flagbearer of the opening ceremony for Team Georgia at the 2012 London Olympics. She received this opportunity once again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when she, alongside, Lasha Talakhadze, the prominent weightlifter and now two-time gold medalist, became the flag bearers of the opening ceremony.

She was chosen to grace the occasion as she was on the verge of making history to become the first female athlete with most appearances in the Olympics (9).

2) Three medals in nine Olympics appearances

In her nine Olympics appearances, the legendary shooter Nino Salukvadze has bagged three Olympics medals - two medals in the 1988 Olympics and the third one in the 2008 Olympic Games. At the 1988 Games in Seoul, she claimed the gold in women’s 25m pistol and silver in the women’s 10m air pistol event.

Nino stormed into the finals of the women’s 25m pistol event as she secured a second spot in the qualifications, scoring 591 (then Olympics record). Her total comprised 297 in the precision round and 294 in the rapid round. In the finals, she displayed sensational shooting and claimed gold with 99 (50+49) and 690 overall.

In the women’s 10m air pistol, she topped the qualifications, scoring 390 (then world record and Olympic record), and went on to win the silver with 97.9 and 487.9 overall in the final against the winner’s 100.5 and 489.5 overall scores.

Twenty years later, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Nino completed her set of medals as she clinched her third medal in the form of bronze in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event. The medal came at a time when the 2008 Russo-Georgian War was ongoing. Nino made it to the final with a fourth-place finish (386) in the top-eight qualification round. With a total of 101.4 in the final, Nino bagged the third-place on the podium, ensuring her first medal for Georgia in the Olympics.

1) First athlete in history to qualify for 10 consecutive Olympic Games

Nino made her first appearance in the mega event in 1988 and participated in every edition of the Olympics, which has been staged since then. These include the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 editions of the Olympics. After securing a Paris 2024 Olympics berth for Georgia in the women’s 25m pistol at the European Games 2023, Nino Salukvadze has accomplished a unique feat in the history of the Olympics.

The 2024 Summer Olympics would mark her 10th successive appearance, which no other athlete has ever achieved. With this, she would also become only the second-ever athlete after Canada's Ian Miller to take part in 10 Olympic Games. Miller, nicknamed 'Captain Canada' for his longevity, took part in 10 Olympic Games editions between 1972 and 2014, but missed out in the 1980 edition.