Hidayat Heydarov looking to break the records

On the second day of the Baku Grand Slam 2024, the spotlight falls squarely on the charismatic Hidayat Heydarov from Azerbaijan, a true crowd-pleaser. As the world number one and top seed, Heydarov's every move will be closely watched, with an entire nation rallying behind him. Despite his recent triumphs at the 2023 European Championships and the Tokyo Grand Slam, Heydarov faces tough competition from contenders like Tohar Butbul from Israel, Obidkhon Nomanov from Uzbekistan, and Arthur Margelidon from Canada, all vying for their shot at glory.

Hidayat Heydarov is the current World Ranking Leader U73kg. In 2017 he was already World Ranking leader in Juniors. Rustam Orujov was also World Ranking leader U73kg during periods from 2015-2020. Former Olympic Champion Elnur Mammadli led the World Ranking U73kg in 2009 in the year after his Olympic title of Beijing.

In the U63kg category, Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard from Canada, still holding the world number one ranking, seeks to reaffirm her status despite recent lackluster performances. With rising stars like Szofi Ozbas from Hungary and Laura Fazliu from Kosovo pushing the limits, the competition remains fierce. The absence of Clarisse Agbegenou from France opens up opportunities for judokas to seize places and points on the leaderboard.

The U81kg category promises intense battles and unpredictable outcomes. Top seed Francois Gauthier Drapeau from Canada faces challenges from the likes of Attila Ungvari from Hungary, Zelim Tckaev from Azerbaijan, and Saeid Mollaei from Azerbaijan, eager to prove himself after a mixed performance in Portugal and Paris. With contenders like Elisavet Teltsidou from Greece and Marie-Eve Gahie from France in the mix, alongside formidable champions like Barbara Matic from Croatia and Michaela Polleres from Austria, the category U70kg is set for explosive showdowns and thrilling surprises.