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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijani judoka Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) has been crowned Olympic champion at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, securing the first gold medal for his country, Azernews reports.

Heydarov entered the competition in the 1/8 finals, where he defeated Tohar Butbul (Israel). He also left no chances for Arthur Margelidon (Canada) in the quarterfinals and Akil Gjakova (Kosovo) in the semifinals.

It should be noted that Paris 2024 is the first Olympics in Hidayat Heydarov's career.

In recognition of our judoka's outstanding performance, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva congratulated Hidayat Heydarov on his Olympic triumph.

The head of state and the First Lady congratulated Hidayat Heydarov on his brilliant victory in the judo competitions of the Olympic Games and wished him continued success in his future sports activities.

Hidayat Heydarov expressed his gratitude to the head of state and the First Lady for their phone call and sincere congratulations, emphasizing that he was proud that the National Flag of Azerbaijan was raised and the National Anthem was played at the Olympics. Hidayat Heydarov said that he would continue to spare no effort to achieve new successes.

Following his victory at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Hidayat Heydarov said that he would do his best to repeat his success in Los Angeles in 2028.

"I added Olympic gold to my collection. I felt the support of the whole country, but especially my family. I know that they were watching, and that means a lot to me. This is a victory for Azerbaijan. I will do my best to repeat the success in Los Angeles in 2028. We are the sons of a Victorious Nation," the judoka said.

The Azerbaijani judoka's victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics also served as an inspiration to aspiring judokas and sports enthusiasts across the country.

After Heydarov's triumph at the Olympics, International Judo Federation (IJF) announced that the Azerbaijani judoka will be honored with an Olympic gold patch.

At the Paris Olympics, Azerbaijan is proudly represented by a total of 48 athletes across 15 sports, competing in 17 programs.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games showcase a diverse range of sporting programs, including football, tennis, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, volleyball, weightlifting, basketball, fencing, taekwondo, athletics, wrestling, and other sports, as well as the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic event.

Paris has become only the second city, after London, to host the Summer Olympics three times.

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games will run until August 11, 2024.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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