Ahmed Elshad oglu Yusifov (born May 31, 1999, Goychay) is a titled Azerbaijani judoka competing in the under 60 kg weight category. In recent years, he has firmly established himself as one of the most promising and consistent fighters on the International Judo Federation (IJF) World Tour, worthily representing Azerbaijan at elite international tournaments.
The sports department of Report.az highlights Yusifov as a classic example of methodical athletic development: from successes at the junior level to resounding victories over world leaders in senior judo.
Ahmed Yusifov began practicing judo at the age of eight at the Lokomotiv sports club in Baku, after which he honed his skills at the Republican Olympic Sports Lyceum. His transition from junior to senior sports was crowned with a series of significant international victories, peaking in 2025–2026.
Key Medals and Performances:
Tashkent Grand Slam Gold (February 2026): The biggest triumph in the athlete's career to date. In the historic "Azerbaijani final," Yusifov secured a clean victory (ippon) over his compatriot and main national team rival, Balabay Aghayev.
European Championship Bronze (Podgorica, 2025): Yusifov's first medal at a senior continental championship. The tournament became a landmark event thanks to his brilliant victory in the medal match over the formidable Spaniard Francisco Garrigós—the reigning world champion at the time, a three-time European champion, and an Olympic medalist.
Grand Prix and Grand Slam Tournaments (2025): Ahmed demonstrated impressive consistency at transcontinental tournaments, winning silver at the Lima Grand Prix (Peru), bronze at the Guadalajara Grand Prix (Mexico), and bronze at his home Grand Slam in Baku.
Junior Achievements: The foundation for today's victories was laid in 2019 when Yusifov became the silver medalist at the Junior World Championships in Marrakech.
Ahmed Yusifov's sports destiny is inextricably linked with the highest level of internal competition within the Azerbaijani national team. The under 60 kg weight category is traditionally one of the most "densely populated" and strongest in the national squad.
Yusifov has to share the tatami and fight for tickets to major tournaments with such renowned judokas as Balabay Aghayev and Turan Bayramov. This fierce internal competition acts as a powerful catalyst: simply to be selected for the country's roster for an international tournament, an athlete must already be in peak physical and psychological form.
The victory over the titled Garrigós in 2025 and the confident gold in Tashkent in 2026 prove that Ahmed Yusifov possesses not only refined technique (with a strong emphasis on dynamic throws and strict grip control) but also the psychological resilience necessary to dominate the global lightweight elite.
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