Ruslan Pashayev has admitted he was close to defending his title at the Paris Grand Slam, but a costly error in the semi-finals ultimately left him with bronze in the under-66kg category, Idman.Biz reports.
Speaking to sportnet.az, Pashayev said he felt capable of repeating last year’s gold-medal performance in Paris. “In truth, I could have won gold again and matched last season’s result, but I made a very big mistake in the semi-final and that cost me the title,” he said. “Still, I’m pleased that I didn’t leave Paris without a medal”.
The judoka made it clear that bronze will not satisfy him for long. “At the next tournaments, I will try to turn this bronze into gold”, Pashayev added, underlining his determination to keep progressing on the international stage.
Looking further ahead, Pashayev has set his sights firmly on the world championships, which will be held in Baku later this year. Azerbaijan has endured a lengthy medal drought in the under-66kg division at world level, something the athlete is keen to change. “This year I will do everything I can to break that curse,” he said.
Pashayev also reflected on his relatively late rise in senior judo, explaining that his breakthrough came after completing military service. “After the army, I started taking judo seriously. I saw that things were working out and believed I could achieve something,” he noted. “Getting into top shape wasn’t easy, but now everything is in place”.
At the Paris Grand Slam, Azerbaijan collected three medals in total. Balabay Agayev claimed gold in the under-60kg category, Zelim Tckaev won silver at under 81kg, while Pashayev completed the medal haul with bronze at under 66kg.
