One of Azerbaijan's most memorable moments at the U20 World Wrestling Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, came through Aykhan Javadov (60 kg). The Greco-Roman wrestler claimed Azerbaijan's only gold medal at the tournament.
It was Javadov's second U20 world title and his third consecutive gold medal at world championships across age categories. The 19-year-old also became only the fourth Azerbaijani wrestler in history to achieve this feat at U20 level.
In an interview with İdman.Biz, Javadov spoke about the difficulties he faced while preparing for the World Championships, his latest success and his goals for the future.
– You were the only Azerbaijani wrestler to have the national anthem played at this tournament. What does that mean to you?
– Thank God I was able to make the Azerbaijani anthem play. It is a huge source of pride for me. When I won, my joy knew no bounds. I can even say that everything felt like a dream.
– You have now won your third gold medal at world championships. Does the responsibility and pressure increase with every new title?
– Winning gold at the World Championships for three consecutive years and defending the title each time is becoming increasingly difficult. But over these years, I feel that I have become stronger both in terms of experience and psychologically. I will have to be more responsible and focused in future competitions. I will do everything I can to achieve that.
– Which of your medals was the most difficult to win?
– I would say that this year's success was the most difficult of all. I was unable to train for three or four months after a serious injury. After that, it was very difficult for me to regain my form in a short period of time and prepare for the World Championships. We prepared well together with our coaches, and in the end we achieved what we wanted.
– You won a bronze medal at the most recent European Championships. How did that result affect your motivation ahead of the World Championships?
– Because of the injury, I was unable to prepare for the European Championships at the level I wanted. While preparing for the World Championships, we analysed the mistakes I had made at the European Championships and worked on them. As a result, I performed better and achieved the result we wanted.
– What are your next goals?
– God willing, I want to repeat these successes at senior level as well. My biggest goal is to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
