Half of the intense season in world judo is already behind us. The ranking tables have been updated, and the balance of power has shifted in quite an interesting way. Ahead lies a tough battle for our Olympic champions to reclaim their lost positions.
With the start of the new Olympic cycle, the ranking points are being updated, and achievements from previous years are gradually losing their significance, Idman.biz reports.
This has affected Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) as well. Last year, he won the World and European Championships, as well as the Olympic Games. Since his victory in Paris, he has only participated in the World Championships in Budapest, where he lost his first match. As a result, it was expected that Heydarov would soon lose his top spot in the rankings. Consequently, Japanese judoka Tatsuki Ishihara has taken the lead, while Heydarov has dropped to sixth place, just one spot ahead of his teammate Rashid Mammadaliyev. Our Olympic champion trails Ishihara by only 780 points. Overall, the fight for leadership has reignited in all weight categories for the new cycle.
For instance, in the 90 kg weight class, Eljan Hajiyev has made a significant leap to second place. He trails only Olympic finalist Sanshiro Murao of Japan. Behind Hajiyev are Georgians Luka Maisuradze and Lasha Bekauri. Hajiyev’s rise is based on his recent achievements, a victory at the Grand Slam in Dushanbe and a bronze medal at the World Championships.
In the 81 kg weight class, Zelim Tckaev also has good prospects, having climbed to second place. A bronze medalist at the World Championships, Tckaev has overtaken multiple-time world champion Georgian Tato Grigalashvili, two-time Olympic champion Japanese judoka Takanori Nagase, and Belgian Matthias Casse. However, he trails the leader Timur Arbuzov (IJF) by 1061 points.
On the other hand, Olympic champion Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) remains in the top three. After Paris 2024, he has had a decent season, earning silver at the European Championships and bronze at the World Championships. These recent achievements have significantly boosted his ranking points. In this weight class, the leadership has shifted to Matvey Kanikovskiy (IJF), with Japanese judoka Dota Arai in second place.
In the lighter weight categories, our athletes still have room for development. Balabay Aghayev (60 kg) is ranked 9th, while Ruslan Pashayev (66 kg) is in 16th place.
In the heavyweight division, Ushangi Kokauri has moved up six positions to 10th place, overtaking two-time Olympic champion Czech judoka Lukas Krpalek.
Japanese judokas now lead in more categories than others. Four Japanese athletes are currently ranked first in their respective weight classes.
Most Azerbaijani athletes are in the top 8, which gives them seeded status in tournaments. Successful results and high-quality performances not only boost rankings but also play an increasingly crucial role in the qualification process for the upcoming Olympics.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
