Nihad Mamishov (AZE) stormed through the -60kg category in Bratislava with the confidence of a seasoned champion, clinching his first-ever European medal and making it gold. His persistent journey saw him eliminate the top seed and 2024 junior European bronze medallist, Zacharie Dijol (FRA), at the semi-final stage, underlining his arrival on the junior scene with authority.
Mamishov’s path was far from straightforward. Along the way, he faced his own teammate, Farid Garayev, before stepping into the final against Italy’s Francesco Sampino. True to form, the young Azerbaijan judoka opened with a yuko advantage, quickly moving into his comfort zone: ne-waza. From every angle, Mamishov proved untouchable on the ground, converting positions into danger for his rivals, thought Sampino freightened Mamishov with a juji-gatame attempt. A second yuko came from a prolonged hold, and though Sampino rallied with a near-scoring o-goshi and a brief osae-komi, the contest closed with Mamishov firmly in control. With two yuko on the scoreboard, the referee declared him junior European champion 2025 in the -60kg category.
For Mamishov, this was no fairy tale, it was business as usual.
“I have been two times cadet world champion, but I lost in the cadet Europeans, so today finally I have my first European medal, and it is gold. Not only that, I won those titles in -50kg and -55kg. As a first-year junior I am really happy to have won. When I came here, I 100% believed that I would be in the final. I knew I would make it. This medal gives me motivation for the junior World Championships.”
Mamishov credits much of his inspiration to Orkhan Safarov, his hero, and to Japan’s Maruyama Jōshirō, whose videos he studies daily. His long-term ambition is crystal clear:
“I want to be the next Olympic champion.”
Still, even a gold medal leaves room for self-reflection. On a scale of 1 to 10, Mamishov rated his day a 7, admitting that sharper tactics could have made it perfect. With his sights set on the year ahead, he’s determined to turn that seven into a ten.
Elsewhere in the category, France celebrated a double podium finish. Zacharie Dijol claimed bronze with a beautifully timed morote-seoi-nage against Charlie AYRE (GBR) in golden score. On the neighbouring mat, teammate Kelvin RAY (FRA) defeated Farid GARAYEV (AZE).
Author: Szandra Szogedi