Rustam Orujov

Rustam Orujov is an Olympic silver medalist and European Champion in Judo, representing Azerbaijan on the global stage. After demonstrating consistent performance in the 73 kg weight category, Rustam Orujov went on to achieve significant early career success, securing titles including the European Cup Celje and World Cup Baku in 2011. His trajectory continued to build momentum, earning him victories at the Grand Prix Dusseldorf and Grand Prix Baku in 2012, the same year he first competed at the Summer Olympics. Orujov’s early dominance was further solidified with a gold medal at the Grand Slam Baku in 2013, followed by Grand Prix wins in Samsun (2014 and 2015) and Tbilisi (2015), firmly establishing his presence in the sport.

The following year, Orujov earned a silver medal at the 2019 European Games and another silver at the World Championships in Tokyo. He added further accolades with a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2020 and a bronze at the Tashkent Grand Slam in 2021. Demonstrating his national prominence, Orujov was honored with the role of carrying Azerbaijan’s flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021, where he notably placed 5th in his event. Rustam Orujov concluded his competitive career with strong performances in 2022, earning a bronze medal at the European Championships and another bronze at the Grand Slam Hungary.

Throughout his illustrious career, he accumulated an impressive record on the IJF World Tour, securing nine gold medals, seven silver medals, and sixteen bronze medals across Grand Slam, Grand Prix, and World Masters tournaments. Following his decorated competitive career, Orujov transitioned into a leadership role, now serving as the Technical Director for the Saudi Arabia national judo team.