# Giorgi Mshvenieradze

**Giorgi Mshvenieradze** (Georgian: გიორგი მშვენიერაძე; born 1960 in Tbilisi) is a Georgian former water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union and won the Olympic gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Games and bronze at the 1988 Seoul Games.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> His full name is Georgy Petrovich Mshveniyeradze (Георгий Петрович Мшвениерадзе).<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960, Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> |
| Sport | Water polo, center forward, for the Soviet Union (NOC URS), nationality Georgian<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> |
| Olympic medals | Gold, 1980 Moscow; bronze, 1988 Seoul, both in the men's team tournament<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> |
| World and European titles | World champion 1982 (Guayaquil), world bronze 1986 (Madrid); European champion 1983, 1985, and 1987; World Cup winner 1981 and 1983<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> |
| Family | Son of Olympic medalist Petre Mshvenieradze; brother of Olympian Nuzgari Mshvenieradze<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> |

## Olympic career

Mshvenieradze played for the Soviet team at two Olympic tournaments. At the 1980 Moscow Games the Soviet squad, which also included [Yevgeny Sharonov](https://www.edgepedia.org/yevgeny-sharonov), Aleksandr Kabanov, Aleksey Barkalov, and [Vyacheslav Sobchenko](https://www.edgepedia.org/vyacheslav-sobchenko), finished first and took the gold medal; Mshvenieradze scored 7 goals in the tournament.<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/URS/sports/WPO.1)</sup> The Soviet Union did not enter the 1984 Los Angeles tournament, which it boycotted, so his next Olympic appearance came eight years after his first.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup>

At the 1988 Seoul Games he was again on the Soviet roster, alongside returning teammates Sharonov, Grishin, Kotenko, Ivanov, and Sobchenko, and the team finished third for the bronze medal.<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/URS/sports/WPO.1)</sup> His Olympic total is one gold and one bronze.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup>

## World and European titles

Between his two Olympics, Mshvenieradze was part of a Soviet team that dominated the sport's other major competitions. He won the world title at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships in [Guayaquil](https://www.edgepedia.org/guayaquil) and took the world bronze medal at the 1986 championships in Madrid.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> He was a three-time European champion, winning the continental title at Rome 1983, Sofia 1985, and [Strasbourg](https://www.edgepedia.org/strasbourg) 1987, and he won the World Cup twice, in 1981 and 1983.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup> He also won a [Universiade](https://www.edgepedia.org/universiade) gold in water polo at Kobe in 1985.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup>

## Family of Olympians

Mshvenieradze belongs to a three-generation Georgian water polo family. His father, [Petre Mshvenieradze](https://www.edgepedia.org/petre-mshvenieradze) (1929–2003), played for the Soviet Union at the 1952, 1956, and 1960 Olympics, winning bronze in Melbourne and silver in Rome, and was captain of the Soviet team.<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/URS/sports/WPO.1)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://sport-strana.ru/mshvenieradze-petr-jakovlevich/)</sup> His half-brother Nuzgari Mshvenieradze, born in 1952 in Moscow while their father was playing there, competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where the Soviet team placed eighth.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.hermandw.be/FullOlym/biomsh.htm)</sup> Giorgi was born in Tbilisi in 1960, the year his father won Olympic silver in Rome.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)</sup>

## References

1. [Giorgi Mshvenieradze, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54844)
2. [Soviet Union in Water Polo, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/URS/sports/WPO.1)
3. [Мшвениерадзе Петр Яковлевич, Спорт-страна.ру](https://sport-strana.ru/mshvenieradze-petr-jakovlevich/)
4. [Great Olympians – biographies – MSH, Herman De Wael](https://www.hermandw.be/FullOlym/biomsh.htm)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › Water polo players and coaches*

*Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license