Azerbaijani judoka Islam Rahimov crowned European champion

Azerbaijani judoka Islam Rahimov has won the gold medal at the U-23 European Judo Championships in Naples, Italy.

According to Azerbaijan Judo Federation, cited by Report, Rahimov, who competed in the 66 kg weight category, defeated Croatian Christian Butucini, Frenchman Alexis Renard and Ukrainian Gagik Martirosyan on his way to the final.

In the decisive bout, the judoka defeated the Netherlands' Jochem van Harten by ippon to claim the European title.

Islam Rahimov has now won the U-23 European Championship for the second consecutive year. Notably, he also defeated van Harten in the final in 2025.

A total of 275 judokas from 36 countries are competing in the tournament.