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Stephan Hegyi is back with Austrian title after grueling injury

Stephan Hegyi is back with Austrian title after grueling injury

12 Oct 2024 21:00
Judo Austria - Oliver Sellner

After a grueling 622-day recovery period from two ACL tears and an Achilles tendon rupture, Austrian judoka Stephan Hegyi has made a triumphant return to competition. The 26-year-old from Vienna captured the heavyweight title at the Austrian National Championships in Feldkirchen, defeating top-seeded and defending champion Movli Borchashvilli of Allianz Kukla Galaxy Tigers with an Ippon in the final.

This victory marks Hegyi's first competition in 20 months, and his return was nothing short of remarkable. In the earlier rounds, Hegyi, a three-time European Championships bronze medallist, overcame Lukas Angerer and Niko Herzog to reach the final.

Other notable highlights included Marcus Auer’s victory in the -66 kg category, where he denied Pascal Auer a third consecutive national title. Additionally, brothers Magamed (-81 kg) and Adam Borchashvilli (-100 kg) secured two gold medals for the Galaxy Tigers. On the women's side, Laura Kallinger won the highly anticipated -57 kg final, defeating Verena Hiden to claim the national title. 

Hegyi's return and the success of other competitors signal an exciting moment for Austrian judo, with plenty of talent emerging on the national stage.