Azerbaijan captures historic gold haul at Cadet Europeans

The young Azeri have started amazingly at the Cadet European Championships in Riga, Latvia on Tuesday. With three gold medals the tournament is already a big success. Never before Azerbaijan started with three gold medals at the first day of judo.

Russia took a gold medal for girls U40kg as Russian lightweight Polina Iakovenko defeated Turkish Zilan Ertem in the final. French Pauline Cuq was the one expected to shine in Latvia. She claimed the gold medal in her category U44kg and she defeated Tara Babulfath of Sweden in the final. At the last Cadet Europeans Cuq took the bronze medal U40kg. It was for the first time since 2008 that Sweden had a cadet in the final of a European Championship and Sweden didn’t win a medal since 2010.

Also in the women’s category Azerbaijan took a gold medal. Aydan Valiyeva captured the European title. In the final U48kg she was too strong for Vanessa Tolea of Romania. Valiyeva scored with a powerful o-uchi-gari and though she had won, but with 6 seconds left Tolea couldn’t make a difference anymore.

In the boys division though Azerbaijan seriously dominated in all categories. U50kg Khayal Hasanov captured the gold medal in the final against Daniil Mustafin of Russia. Islam Rahimov won his division U55kg against Samvel Mkhitarian, another Azerbaijan-Russia confrontation.

Aydin Rzayev was about to complete a quartet of gold medals at day one in Riga but he got caught by Yehonatan Veksler of Israel in an oseikomi in the golden score of the final U60kg. It is 17 years ago since Azerbaijan won four medals in the whole tournament of a Cadet European Championships, and they are close to achieving that performance. Yehonatan Veksler became the first Israelian Cadet European Champion since 2015. Raz Hershko won that medal and she took an Olympic medal this month with the team. The last Cadet European Champion of Israel was in 2009 by Yacov Mamistvalov.

Tomorrow the battle for gold continues in Latvia that celebrates its first ever in the history of European Championships in all age categories.

Last year the cadet Judo Europeans in Latvia were cancelled