Azerbaijani judoka Zelym Kotsoyev, who secured a bronze medal at the World Judo Championships in Budapest in the -100 kg category, opened up about the turning points that fueled his performance.
Kotsoiev highlighted the critical support he received after falling short of the final, Idman.biz reports:
"We have a strong coaching staff, great friends, and my brother is here too. They all motivated me to fight for the bronze medal. They reminded me that I’m a fighter and must keep going until the end."
The Olympic champion emphasized the dedication of the coaching team and the weight of expectations:
"Winning three medals is a big achievement. But our coaches work so hard that I believe this result still doesn’t do them justice — they deserve more. After taking two gold medals at last year’s World Championship, expectations were even higher this time."
Kotsoiev also recalled the decisive moment in his repechage match against Spanish judoka Nikoloz Sherazadishvili:
"After losing in the quarterfinals, I went into the repechage without any emotion. I had no spirit left. But when Nikoloz launched an attack, something in me switched on, my emotions came back. I was down by a waza-ari, and that became the motivation I needed. I equalized the score, and the match went into golden score. We were both exhausted. I think my opponent made a small mistake. But that’s judo."
The former world champion also reflected on what it felt like to give up the red back patch reserved for reigning champions:
"It felt like everyone was fighting me as if they were in a final. I sense that and understand it. But now, the red mark on the back of my judogi is gone. Still, the golden patch for Olympic champions remains — and that means everything is still on track. Now I’ll head home to spend time with my family and enjoy a two-week break."
Idman.biz
