On the second day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games judo event, Moldova were delighted to celebrate their seventh medal across all sports in Olympic history, and now they can continue with yet another bronze medal, this time from Adil OSMANOV in the -73kg category.
It would be safe to say, given the depth of talent in this category, that Osmanov wasn’t on too many lists of medallists in Paris, but he proved the naysayers wrong and defied the ranking odds, literally as the bottom position in pool D.
For the bronze medal, he needed to find a way past Manuel LOMBARDO (ITA), a medal favourite today who took a fifth place in Tokyo, but in the -66kg category. Unfortunately for the Italian, he suffered the same fate today, but there was simply no escaping the wonder that was Osmanov. In a textbook action-reaction movement, Osmanov feigned a cross grip tai otoshi entry, then stunned both the crowd and Lombardo by switching direction and throwing with a very low o uchi gari. Originally, the technique was awarded waza ari, but after a brief look by the commission, ippon was given.
Osmanov has always been on or around the podium as a young athlete, picking up continental championship medals, a single Junior European Cup and Senior European Cup gold, but 2024 has been his year. A gold in the Upper Austria Grand Prix drew gaze, but the Antalya Grand Slam win really put the 24 year old on the map. Now, Osmanov has placed himself in the history books of Moldovan sport.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen