Khatuna Lorig – An Archery Shooting Star from Georgia

Khatuna Kvrivishvili, known to the world as Khatuna Lorig, is, quite paradoxically, more known in the U.S. rather than in her native Georgia. At the age of 18, she competed for the Unified Team (also known as the CIS Team) at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, winning a bronze medal. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, few people cared about the archery star, so she decided to head to the United States and continue her sports career there. Now she lives in California and has outstandingly represented the United States of America in various competitions.

At the moment Lorig is rated highest among American female archers, and is ranked eighth in the entire world among female archers. For the Beijing Olympics’ closing ceremony, she was the American delegation’s flag bearer. She also was the one who taught archery to Jennifer Lawrence, the young Academy Award-winning American actress, famous for her roles in The Hunger Games (a dystopian series about a young female archer) and Silver Linings Playbook, among others.

Not long ago, she again attracted the media’s attention, when she appeared along with other renowned athletes in a nude photo session by ESPN. After participating in the recent World Championship in Denmark, Khatuna visited Tbilisi for a few days, and this is where Georgian Journal contacted her for an exclusive interview:

– You said once that Georgian female archers were better than male ones. How so?

– Competition scores speak for me. However, if you need concrete examples, naming Ketevan Losaberidze, an Olympic champion, is more than enough. Georgian boys are more into football; they rarely join the archers’ ranks.

– Tell us more about the ESPN photo session you took part in. Was it hard for them to persuade you to appear nude before the cameras?

– The offer from ESPN left me pleasantly surprised. Naturally, I was nervous about how the photos were going to turn out, but I

calmed down after seeing the photos. They were definitely taken by a person with an eye for art. By the way, I prepared for the photosession three months in advance to make sure I wouldn’t be ashamed of my body later on – extra exercise, special diet, etc. The photos were taken in the redwood forest, near San Francisco. A photographer who had just recently worked with Brad Pitt selected the location for its enormous trees.

– So are you more Lorig rather than Kvrivishvili?

– I compete under the last name Lorig and many people know me by it. But nothing is going to change the fact that I am Kvrivishvili too! [She laughs.] Both last names are mine, but Lorig is easier to pronounce – so I went with it.

– What was your experience teaching Jennifer Lawrence like?

– When I was asked to train an actress, I agreed… reluctantly. [She laughs.] Later it turned out that my student was going to be a Hollywood star. I spent two weeks training Jennifer, and we both had a good time. It was a pleasant experience. She is a merry, down-to-earth girl. Her stance with the bow was graceful and professional, and she turned out to be a decent shot, as well! Watching the movie later made me feel weird: Here I was watching a Hollywood blockbuster, starring a girl whom I taught to shoot.

– Have you met other famous actors?

– Both my son daughter and I were invited to the premiere of The Expendables. There I met the film’s actors Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Terry Crews. Crews turned out to be a very pleasant man, while Statham was very rough. I also know Jean-Claude Van Damme, and I have met Arnold Schwarzenegger three times.

– Do people ask you anything about Georgia, or are you simply an American to them?

– Not many people know about my heritage. Some people mistake me for a Russian. But after seeing my facial expression change in response to that, few dare to pursue the subject further.

Author: Rati Shelegia