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There is no escaping that judo is a heartbreaking sport. All can be over in a matter of seconds after months, even years of preparation. Some judoka go head to head for their entire careers and the rivalry between Ilia SULAMANIDZE (GEO) and Zelym KOTSOIEV (AZE) looks set to be one of the most epic.
Already the pair have gone toe to toe on the tatami six times, resulting in a 3:3 split record. The most recent win was on the final day of individual competition during the European Championships in Podgorica. On this occasion, the win went to Sulamanidze who desperately wanted to become the European Champion after settling for silver on two occasions, in 2023 losing to Kotsoiev in the final.
Given the huge respect the athletes have for one another, it was unsurprising that Sulamanidze explained afterwards,
Zelym is such a great guy, he is a good person and good judoka so I’m happy that this was the final.
Of course, it can’t always be gold, and arguably their most famous contest to date was in the Paris Olympic Games 2024. After leading the contest and being seconds away from an Olympic title, Sulamanidze ceded a third shido and his dream crumbled. After some time to reflect, he is at peace with the result and now it is a case of moving forward to LA2028, and at the rate these two stars are going at, there is every chance for another final!
Before that however we have more major titles to be won, and with the 2026 Senior European Championships being held in Tbilisi, Sulamanidze will have even more reason to defend his gold, and Kotsoiev more of a reason to take it!
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen