UPDATE 1-Olympics-Judo-Georgian scores emotional gold victory

(Recasts with new material

By Ian Ransom

BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Irakli Tsirekidze won Georgia's second Olympic gold medal on Wednesday after advancing through an emotion-charged semi-final against Russian Ivan Pershin.

Tsirekidze triumphed as world powers tried to implement a peace deal agreed in principle by Georgia and Russia to halt a conflict over the South Ossetia region which has broken away from Tbilisi's control.

The 26-year-old world champion, who pointed at the Georgian insignia on the back of his judo suit after beating Pershin in the semi-final, won the title bout by a technicality after a dour struggle against Algerian Amar Benikhlef.

"It means a lot for Georgia because as you know there is a conflict now," Tsirekidze told reporters through a translator.

"We are very happy today to have won two medals as it means very much for our country," he said.

Weightlifter Manuchar Kvirkelia won the other Olympic gold for the former Soviet republic on Wednesday in the 74-kg greco-roman wrestling.

During the post-match news conference, a moderator intervened when a reporter asked Tsirekidze what he had meant by pointing at the Georgian insignia.

"We can only have sport related questions here," said the moderator. He then advised the judoka he did not have to answer the question, prompting several reporters to protest.

Venue manager Zhang Erchun said politically related questions were not in accordance with International Olympic Committee's charter but that he was unclear whether the question directed at Tsirekidze had contravened it.

"I'm not exactly sure of the details of the situation but I will ask further about it," said Zhang.

Benikhlef became Algeria's first man to win a judo medal, and only its second judo medallist after team mate Soraya Haddad's bronze in the women's 52-kg class on Saturday.

The 26-year-old silver medallist congratulated Hesham Mesbah who became Egypt's first judo medal winner after beating France's Yves-Matthieu Dafreville in their bronze medal bout. (Editing by Ralph Gowling) (For more stories visit our multimedia website "Road to Beijing" here; and see our blog at blogs.reuters.com/china)