Referee “killed me again” storms Georgian world number one into the race

Bazadze, who turns 31 on Monday, refused to leave the piste and shouted at Spanish referee Vanesa Chichon after she ruled on video that Egyptian Mohamed Amer had the necessary touch, giving him a 15-14 victory.

The two-time European champion was still shouting at her as she walked away, but she ignored him and left the arena in central Paris.

“For the second time like in Tokyo, the referees are killing me,” a desperate Bazadze told the media after he finally left the arena.

“In Tokyo they destroyed my life, almost ended my career.

“But I came back, became world number one and am preparing for the Olympics, but she’s killing me.”

He had put on quite a show.

Although this led to him being booed by the crowd, they then began to cheer when the stadium announcer – perhaps a diplomatic move to calm the already heated atmosphere – announced that France had reached the men’s rugby sevens final.

Bazadze was unaware of this and continued to rant, pounding his chest with his fingers and spreading his arms to plead with other officials, but to no avail.

His French training partner Bolade Apithy, who had stayed to watch him after his match loss, came to calm him down, but it had little effect.

Bazadze was eventually persuaded to leave, but still muttered to himself, claiming that Chichon was referring to the video, which he said was not usually the case at the Olympics.

“My career is over, it’s over,” he said.

“How can I come back if the referees keep picking on me?

“She watched the video. I trained for 21 years for this and she treats me like I’m nobody.”

“When I asked her to explain, she turned around and said: Olympic Games… fairness, where is the fairness?”

Bazadze lost in the semifinals in Tokyo to three-time Olympic champion Aron Szilagyi and claimed that was also a bad decision.

“I was one of the favorites in Tokyo, but I was eliminated in the semifinals and then they beat me, like now,” he said.

“Everyone watch the video. I’m not a kid anymore, I understand this sport. Watch the video. Then you can tell me if I’m wrong and judge me.”

The physically imposing Bazadze may be thinking about hanging up his sword, but at the same time hinted that he might pursue the matter further.

“I came to the Olympics in the worst shape of my life,” he said.

“I don’t know, but I won’t leave it like that. I swear on my sons, I’ll do something.”

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