Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov (73kg) has won the silver medal at the European Judo Championships in Tbilisi, finishing the tournament in second place after a hard-fought final, Idman.Biz reports.
In the decisive bout, Heydarov was defeated by Georgia’s Lasha Shavdatuashvili, missing out on what could have been his fifth European title. The result marks the second time in his career that the Azerbaijani judoka has finished with silver at the continental championships.
On his way to the final, Heydarov delivered a series of impressive performances. He defeated Konstantinos Tsaparas (Greece) in the round of 32, Dardan Cena (Kosovo) in the round of 16, Dayan Boulmatfess (France) in the quarter-finals, and Bilal Ciloglu (Turkey) in the semi-finals to secure his place in the title bout.
Azerbaijan had already opened the tournament with podium finishes on the previous day, as Ahmad Yusifov (60kg) and Turan Bayramov (66kg) both claimed bronze medals.
The European Judo Championships in Tbilisi will run until April 19, with more Azerbaijani athletes still in contention for medals.
