Moldovan judo player Denis Vieru won gold at the Under-23 European Judo Championships held in Tel-Aviv. He scored five victories in the 66kg class, IPN reports.
Vieru beat the athletes of Israel, Russia and Switzerland before reaching the semifinal against Azeri judoka Telman Valiyev. The semifinal was dramatic because Vieru was led by 0-11, but he nevertheless won, as a result of “ippon”. In the final, he defeated Manuel Scheibel of Germany 10-0.
In the women’s competition, Cristina Budescu missed the chance of winning bronze in the 48kg class. She lost the decisive battle to Iberian judo player Laura Martinez Abelenda. At the European Championships in Israel, Moldova is represented by eight judokas.
