Adil Osmanov injured himself celebrating Olympic judo bronze medal
Adil Osmanov celebrated his Olympic bronze medal a bit too enthusiastically.
After defeating Italy’s Manuel Lombardo in the Judo 73 kg weight class at Champ-de-Mars Arena on Monday, a gleeful Osmanov was seen jumping up and down with his arms in the air, as this victory marked one of the biggest moments in his judo career.
However, the jubilation took a quick turn as the 24-year-old went down with a dislocated shoulder, according to multiple reports.
Footage showed him curled up on the ground, grabbing his arm with his opposite hand and crying out in pain.
Per E! News, following the match, Osmanov explained that he has recently been battling issues with his shoulder and was advised to get surgery before the Paris Games.
“…during the warm-up I felt bad, but I’ve had that before — and that’s when I got a medal. I had no options to back down,” he said.
Osmanov began practicing judo in 2011 after his father recommended that he try the sport.
“I have a sports family. My father was engaged in sambo, my mother in athletics, and my brother and sister are also engaged in judo,” he said, according to the Olympics website.
In 2017, Osmanov shifted his training to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, where he has since resided.
The previous highlight of the young judoka’s career is the silver medal he earned at the 2019 Junior European Championships.
His national team debut was in 2018 at the European Open in Prague, where he placed ninth in the 60 kg weight class.
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On behalf of the country, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu congratulated Osmanova on his Olympic medal through a statement on X.
“Another bronze medal for Moldova!” she wrote, including a photo of him after the competition. “Congratulations to our judoist Adil Osmanov for the impressive performance at the Olympics. Your achievement is a victory for us all!”
Moldovan Parliament speaker Igor Grosul also honored the judoka, per the Standard.
Despite an initial celebration cut short, Osmanov was able to attend the medal ceremony, where he wore the bronze alongside Japan’s Soichi Hashimoto, who also took third in the judo 73 kg.
Joan-Benjamin Gaba of France snagged the silver while Azerbaijan’s Hidayat Heydarov stood atop the podium in gold.