17-year-old Ukrainian judoka Khazar Heydarov won the gold medal at the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games held in Dakar, Senegal. The athlete triumphed in the under-66 kg weight category, winning all three bouts of the tournament and securing the national team's first gold award of these Games. Heydarov marched confidently to the top of the podium, without conceding a single score in his main matches.
Quarterfinals and Semifinals: Two Waza-ari and Opponent Disqualification
In the quarterfinal bout, Heydarov met host country representative Matar Diop of Senegal. The Ukrainian demonstrated a high level of technique, executing two scoring throws, each of which was rated as a waza-ari by the referee panel. Two waza-aris sum up to an ippon, allowing Heydarov to finish the bout ahead of schedule and advance to the semifinals without wasting energy. In the battle for a spot in the final, his opponent was Hungarian judoka Nimrod Mildner. Heydarov opened the scoring first by earning a yuko, and soon the Hungarian was disqualified for applying an illegal technique — a headbutt. Thus, the Ukrainian secured his place in the final ahead of schedule and guaranteed at least a silver medal.
Final Against the Cadet World Champion: Resolution in Golden Score
In the decisive showdown, Heydarov faced Canadian judoka Anes Mati, the reigning cadet world champion. Both athletes acted cautiously, trying to avoid mistakes and gifting points to the opponent. During the four minutes of regular time, neither judoka managed to execute a scoring technique, and the bout moved into overtime — Golden Score, where fighting continues until the first scoring action or decisive penalty. The climax came in the fourth minute of extra time: the Canadian judoka received his third warning (shido), which according to the rules means disqualification and an automatic victory for the opponent. It was this episode that brought Heydarov the gold medal.
Historical Significance and Context
Khazar Heydarov's gold became Ukraine's first top-tier award at the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. For the 17-year-old athlete, this is his first major international triumph of such a scale, and defeating the reigning cadet world champion in the final gives the medal extra weight. Against the backdrop of another Ukrainian judoka's recent success — Savytskyi, who won bronze at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam — Heydarov's result confirms the consistently high level of the Ukrainian judo school in youth and junior categories.
