Ahead of the European Judo Championships, set to begin on April 16 in Tbilisi, the European Judo Union has launched its “Gold Collectors” project, highlighting the continent’s most successful athletes. Azerbaijani judoka Hidayat Heydarov, competing in the under 73 kg category, has been given a central role in the initiative after winning four European titles. Alongside teammate Zelim Kotsoyev (100 kg), he is considered one of the leading contenders for gold at the upcoming tournament.
As reported by Idman.Biz, Heydarov first claimed the European title in 2017 and later completed a remarkable hat-trick between 2022 and 2024. The Olympic champion currently holds the record for the most European titles among active male judokas, surpassing Lukas Krpalek of the Czech Republic, Georgia’s Tato Grigalashvili and Spain’s Francisco Garrigos, all of whom have three titles. The overall record-holder remains France’s Romane Dicko, who has five gold medals and will be aiming for a sixth in Tbilisi.
The championship promises a highly competitive lineup, with seven Olympic champions expected to take to the tatami. Among them are Heydarov and Kotsoyev, as well as Krpalek, Lasha Shavdatuashvili and Lasha Bekauri of Georgia, Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo and Alice Bellandi of Italy.
Tbilisi will host the European Championships for the second time, having previously staged the event in 2009. The scale of the competition has grown significantly since then, with 410 athletes from 46 countries set to compete, compared to 260 participants from 39 nations 17 years ago.
The history of the tournament dates back 75 years, with the first European Judo Championships held in Paris in 1951, where French athletes won all five categories. Over the decades, the event has evolved into one of the most prestigious competitions in the global sporting calendar.
For much of its early history, the championships were dominated by Western European nations. The event was first held in a socialist bloc city in 1970, in East Berlin, while the women’s European Championships were introduced in 1974 in Genoa. Since 1987, men and women have competed at a unified tournament. The 2026 edition will mark the 75th championship for men and the 52nd for women.
France remains the most successful nation in the history of the competition, with 249 gold, 169 silver and 259 bronze medals, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.
