Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov has withdrawn from the upcoming European Judo Championships amid health issues, Azernews reports.

The four-time World and European champion has not sustained any injuries; his absence is solely due to a cold. Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg) will substitute for Heydarov in the competition.

The European Judo Championships are set to take place in Montenegro from April 23 to 27, with Azerbaijan fielding a total of 15 judokas, including 9 men and 6 women at the event.

Recall that Hidayat Heydarov became the junior world champion in Abu Dhabi ( 2015). The following year, he won the junior European championship in Malaga, and he also secured the European Cup in Orenburg.

In 2017, he achieved a bronze medal at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris. That same year, he became the European champion in judo in the under-73 kg category by defeating Musa Mogushkov from Russia in the final. This victory made Heydarov the first judoka to win all four European titles, and the European Judo Union recognized him as the best young judoka in Europe.

In 2018, he earned a silver medal at the European Championship and a bronze medal at a world championship held in his home country.

During the 2019 European Games, Heydarov claimed a bronze medal after defeating the European champion Ferdinand Karapetyan from Armenia.

He also won a gold medal at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam in Tel Aviv, Israel.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Hidayat Heydarov won a gold medal for Azerbaijan.