Hidayat Heydarov, who won the gold medal at the European Judo Championship held in Montpellier, France, gave an interview to Idman.biz.
- Hidayat, we congratulate you on the next Championship. What are the differences between the first and third European Championship?
- Thank you. Of course, each title has its own value, but emotions and impressions do not change. I remember well my first victory in Warsaw in 2017 and my success in Sofia last year. Now I repeated the same success in Montpellier. I'm still hungry to win and I'm focused on a fourth or fifth Championship in Europe.
- As if you easily defeated all opponents. And Salvador Cases of the opponent in the final, right?
- I prepared for the tournament at a high level. I came here to win. First thing is to win, then to protect it. I had almost all the fights evenly. In the first match, my Belgian opponent, Abdul Malik Umayev, showed some resistance, which is understandable at the start. Then I caught a rhythm and had a comfortable way to the final.
- Was the victory in Montpellier a good test before the Olympics?
- Of course. There is no way to be reassured. Each start aims to prepare for the Olympic Games and the European Championship. A third European Championship is great, but I'm focused on Olympic gold. There is not much time left for the Paris Olympics, I want to prove my purpose.
- After the "Grand Slam" Tournament in Baku, you won the European Championship. It seems that, like last year, you have found the formula of the way to victory...
- It is true that the first half of the season was not easy at all. After some changes in my personal life and training process, I started getting success. As you mentioned, after the "Grand Slam" I became the European Champion. But the season does not end with these victories.
- Do you mean the next Tokyo "Grand Slam"?
- It is so. Considering that I lead the world ranking, I should have a successful performance in Japan. I want to keep the first place and finish the year as a leader. The struggle continues.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
