Galandarzade and Shukurov shine for Azerbaijan in Tallinn

The second day of the European Judo Championships Juniors 2024 in Tallinn saw a blend of seasoned champions and fresh faces taking the spotlight at the Unibet Arena. Azerbaijan continued their dominance on the medals table, while Italy and Germany remained close contenders.

In the U63kg division, Sara-Joy Bauer (GER) capped off a tumultuous day with a stunning victory. The chaos began when she eliminated second seed Sara Corbo (ITA), and the top half of the draw was equally shaken when Anna Skalska (CZE) defeated the junior world champion and top seed Melkia Auchecorne (FRA) in the quarter-finals. Joni Geilen (NED) added to the drama by sending Skalska to the repechage, setting up a final against Bauer. Geilen initially led with a waza-ari from an osei-komi-waza, but Bauer struck back with a decisive ouchi-gari, quickly transitioning into a shime-waza to clinch the title.

The U70kg category brought attention to Paris 2024 Olympian Tais Pina (POR), but she was ousted in the second round by Teophila Darbes-Takam (FRA), who then defeated the second seed, Aleksandra Kowalewska (POL), on her way to the final. However, it was top seed April Lynn Fohouo (SUI) who dominated the competition, despite suffering from an arm injury. In the final, Fohouo controlled the contest with her powerful right top grip and relentless ouchi-gari, securing a waza-ari that she maintained to win the gold. This victory marked a long-awaited triumph for Fohouo and Switzerland.

U73kg Vusal Galandarzade (AZE) proved unstoppable, living up to his top-seed status. In the semi-finals, he overpowered his opponent with a stunning ura-nage, initially scoring ippon before it was downgraded to a waza-ari. In the final, he showcased his skill with a counter-attack followed by a precise osoto-gari to defeat Dimitar Gospodinov (BUL) and claim the gold. Bulgaria celebrated two medals in this division, with Gospodinov taking silver and his teammate Victor Skerlev securing bronze.

The U81kg category saw Suleyman Shukurov (AZE) delivering Azerbaijan’s fourth gold of the tournament. Shukurov dominated the top half of the draw, overcoming a tough quarter-final against Luka Javakhishvili (GEO). Meanwhile, second seed Aleksandre Loladze (GEO) worked his way to the final in the bottom half. Despite Loladze’s efforts, Shukurov’s skill prevailed with a stylish ko-soto-gake into a kata-guruma combination, securing yet another gold for Azerbaijan.