Russia was the undisputed best performing country on day one of the U17 Cadet European Championships in Koper. Russia won five of today’s six gold medals, a unique performance.
Sakhavat Gadzhiev (RUS) won the lightest male weight category U50kg. Kamran Baghirov (AZE) became third. The situation was the other way around at the Top Cadets U17 in Berlin last May.
Venera Nizamova (RUS) beat Sarah Vogel (GER) in the super lightweight category U40kg. Nizamova was one of the favourites as she won a number of important U17 medals at Top Cadet tournament towards this championship. She won in Kiev and lost the final in Szczyrk. Last year she finished second at the Europeans in Sarajevo.
Evgeniya Demintseva (RUS) was the third Russian judoka to win the gold. U44kg Demintseva beat Katharina Pfeiffer (GER) and repeated her win from Berlin and Szczyrk, also ranked higher than Pfeiffer. Both athletes stood together at the medal ceremony for the third time this year, three times Demintseva on the highest stage.
Roman Buzok (RUS) won U55kg beating Turkish Ahmet Sahin Kaba who was the major favourite after winning the Top Cadets tournaments of Zagreb and Teplice. Buzok was apparently positively influenced by the other three medalists of his compatriots and surprised Kaba.
Italian U17 Champion Odette Giuffrida defeated Anna Dmitrieva (RUS) U48kg to win the first non-Russian medal. Giuffrida is the 6th Italian winner of the U17 European title. Last year Domenico Di Guida was the last.
The last Russian finalist was Ayvengo Shabiev, U60kg. Shabiev won the fifth Russian title by defeating Georgios Azoidis (GRE). Azoidis is the successor of Alexios Ntanatsidis who won the last Greek European title. Ntanatsidis will fight tomorrow. Shabiev was nearly unbeatable this year, only lost at the Bremen U17 Masters finishing third. Also in Koper Shabiev was dominant in this category.
Russia has never won so many medals in one day at the U17 Europeans.
2000 5 of 16 gold medals
2002 6/16 gold medals
2003 1/16 gold medals
2004 2/16 gold medals
2005 4/16 gold medals
2006 7/16 gold medals
2007 4/16 gold medals
2008 4/16 gold medals
2009 5/6 gold medals after day 1.