Before you crack jokes about Shota Mishvelidze, just remember, most of the greatest weightlifters have gone to sleep after an intense rep or two. I mean, come on, the guy’s 22 years old and competing with the best weightlifters in the world! The Oak himself even fainted a few times (he mentioned it in one of his more famous quotes), so let’s cut Shota some slack.
“That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens,” Schwarzenegger says. He went on to say the passing out a few times is a mark of champions. “I have no fear of fainting. I do squats until I fall over and pass out. So what? It’s not going to kill me. I wake up five minutes later and I’m OK. A lot of other athletes are afraid of this. So they don’t pass out. They don’t go on.”
Still, so long as no one gets hurt, it is pretty funny to watch. It’s been a few weeks since the world championships in Houston, but GIFs of the unfortunate 22-year-old are still making the rounds online. Here’s one courtesy of ESPN and Deadspin.com.
Mishvelidze took 19th place (out of 40) in the Men’s 69 kg snatch, 34th in the clean & jerk and 27th in total.
