Last weekend’s match between Vugar Shirinli (AZE) and triple Olympic Champion Tadahiro Nomura was a class between ages.
In terms of giant slaying it does not get much bigger than a junior, for that is what Shirinli is, defeating the only triple Olympic gold medalist in judo. Nomura (34) is twice as old as Shirinli (17). Both judoka differ 17 years.
It was the greatest possible age difference of all participants. Nomura was the oldest, Shirinli the youngest.
In the picture: Natik Bagirov
All David and Goliath stories are surprising. But, having already
thrown Nomura with Kata Guruma for waza-ari, Shirinli scoring ippon
with Te Guruma could go down as one of the biggest surprises ever.
Examples of huge male age differences:
2001 Polish Open Ismayilov (AZE-18yrs) vs. Bagirov (BLR-36yrs)
2001 A-tournament Minsk Nazaryan (ARM-18yrs) vs. Bagirov (BLR-36yrs)
2006 Tournoi de Paris Anai (JPN-21yrs) vs. Traineau (FRA-39yrs)
In the women’s category athletes like Grace Jividen (USA), Michelle Buckingham (CAN), Isabel Fernandez (ESP), Joyce Heron (GBR) and Heidi Rakels (BEL) booked some age records too.
Oldest medallists
Recently Gabriel Munteanu (ROM) entered the top 3 oldest medal winners ever in a World Cup at the age of 36. Only Belgium’s Robert Vandewalle (BEL) and Natik Bagirov from Belarus were older.
Oldest World Cup winners men
Robert Vandewalle (BEL), 37 years, 8-March 1992 Czech Cup Prague
Natik Bagirov (BLR), 36 years 7 months, 24-June-2001 A Tournament Minsk
Gabriel Munteanu (ROM), 36 years 4 months, 7-June-2009 World Cup Bucharest
Bjarni Fridriksson (ICE), 36 years 1 month, 14-June-1992 ASKO World Tournament Leonding