Olympic title proves Kotsoievs world title was not a fluke

Zelym Kotsoiev has made history as the new Olympic champion from Azerbaijan in the -100kg judo category. His remarkable journey to Olympic glory is a testament to his dedication, skill, and perseverance. Born in 1998, in Alania, North Ossetia, Russia, Kotsoiev's path to success began when he moved to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he now resides and proudly represents the country in international judo competitions.

Kotsoiev proved that the World title that he won this year was no fluke by performing splendidly throughout the day. Even when he was trailing his opponent, in the final, he never lost his cool and fought the right fight.

He started off really well, throwing Piotr Kuczera of Poland with uchimata, and then proceeded to pin him for the win.

Kotsoiev threw Peter Paltchik of Israel with a massive uchimata in the first minute. It was remarkable that Paltchik was able to partially rotate out of it, conceding only a waza-ari. He spent the rest of the matching trying to even up the scores, and very nearly did it in the dying seconds by throwing Kotsoiev with osoto-otoshi. A waza-ari had initially been given but this was over-ruled by the video judges. Kosoiev was through to the semifinal.

Kotsoiev threw Muzaffarbek Turoboyev of Uzbekistan with a Pulaev-style tani-otoshi that had the Uzbek player landing with both elbows on the ground. This gave Kotsoiev a waza-ari and Turoboyev a shido. Far from running away, Kotsoiev continued with his attacks and nearly scored a few more times. Eventually, time ran out and Kotsoiev was off to the final.

The gold medal match was won in very dramatic fashion. Ilia Sulamanidze of Georgia threw Kotsoiev very early in the match with a very unusual hip movement uchimata for waza-ari. Kotsoiev had put both elbows down so he was also given a shido. At the two-minute mark, the Georgian decided to start killing time. A false attack which earned him his first shido. As they approached the final minute, Sulamanidze dropped again but wasn't give a second shido. This seemed to encourage him to continue with his stalling tactics. With just 15 seconds left, Sulamanidze did another false tomoe-nage attack. This time he got a shido for it. Remarkably, at the 9-second mark, he dropped down once again with another false tomoe-nage attack. He was rightly punished for it. He got a third shido, and with that, he gave the gold medal away to Kotsoiev.

Kotsoiev's passion for judo was ignited at a young age, encouraged by his father who wanted him to be able to defend himself. He started practicing the sport in 2006 in Beslan, Russia, and later joined the Judo Club 2012 in Azerbaijan. His early promise in the sport was evident when he won gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships, defeating future senior world champion Arman Adamian in the final.

Since then, Kotsoiev has steadily climbed the ranks, showcasing his prowess on the international stage. He made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, finishing ninth in the -100kg class. However, his breakthrough came with his victory at the 2024 World Championships, where he claimed the gold medal in his category. This triumph followed bronze medal wins at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, solidifying his status as one of the top judokas in the world.

In addition to his Olympic and World Championship successes, Kotsoiev has also excelled at the European Championships, winning gold in 2023, and bronze in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Kotsoiev's success is not just a personal achievement but also a significant milestone for Azerbaijani judo. He is the third Azeri judoka to win the Olympic and World title, following in the footsteps of Hidayat Heydarov and Elnur Mammadli. His personal coach, Elkhan Mammadov, a former world champion himself, has been a pivotal figure in Kotsoiev's career, providing guidance and motivation.

Beyond his judo career, Kotsoiev graduated from the Economics Faculty at the North Ossetian State University. He enjoys dancing and playing pool in his free time. He draws inspiration from his father, who was his first coach, and admires sports legends like Diego Maradona, Muhammad Ali, and his coach Mammadov.

Kotsoiev's journey to becoming an Olympic champion is a remarkable story of perseverance and determination. His switch of allegiance from representing Ukraine at the junior level to Azerbaijan in 2015 was a significant turning point, influenced by his friend Khetag Gazyumov. This decision has paid off handsomely, leading him to the pinnacle of his sport and making him a celebrated figure in Azerbaijan and was warmly welcomed at the airport this week.

As Zelym Kotsoiev stands atop the Olympic podium, he not only celebrates his own hard-earned success but also brings pride to his adopted homeland.