European Judo Union publishes article on Hidayat Heydarov ahead of World Championships in Budapest.
The European Judo Union (EJU) has published an article about Olympic, World, and European champion Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) ahead of the upcoming World Championships in Budapest.
The Azerbaijani judoka stated that his motivation remains high, Idman.biz reports.
Heydarov will once again compete at the World Championships: "Heydarov comes off a golden year. In 2024, he not only won the biggest prize, Olympic gold in Paris, in the -73kg but he also struck gold at the World and European Judo Championships. After that he needed a break."
The head coach of the Azerbaijani national team, Richard Trautmann, said the following at the European Championships held in Podgorica: "Our two Olympic Champions had a lot of celebrations and obligations for the federation, and needed time for themselves as well. We started again in February and obviously we are not yet at a 100 percent, but that is not a problem,” national team coach Richard Trautmann said at the European Championships in Podgorica. “We need to be at a 100 percent when the really big medals are at stake. I am hoping for a good World Championship this year but your next big goal for us as a federation are the World Championships next year that will be held in Baku, in Azerbaijan."
Heydarov wanted to return at the European Championships but couldn’t compete in April due to illness and incomplete recovery. Nevertheless, he traveled to Podgorica, received the EJU’s "Best Judoka of 2024" award, and stayed to support his teammates: "I just lost weight and I came back after 10 months”, the 27-year-old said. “It’s quite difficult to come back and to train again, but I want to win in the next championships.” The motivation remains high. “I already got all these titles but I want to double the stats."
As an Olympic champion, Heydarov has become the face of judo in Azerbaijan, and his life has changed significantly: "Many things changed but the most essential point is that I became famous, a kind of celebrity”, he shared. “I like it quite a lot because I am setting the best example for the new generation."
Now, when walking on the street or in restaurants, people approach him for autographs or photos. Heydarov says he doesn’t mind the attention.
The Olympic champion is once again fully focused on judo. He wrote on his Instagram account: “Judo is not just a sport for me. It’s my life path, and on this path, there’s no looking back, only moving forward.”
Although returning to daily training was challenging, his love for judo outweighed the appeal of a life without sport: “Compared to other sports, judo is the one which is the clearest. I love it because we are like a family. We all respect each other and everyone’s culture.”
As the current Olympic and world champion, Heydarov has been working diligently to be fully prepared to step onto the tatami in the 73 kg category at the World Championships in Budapest.
Idman.biz
