Azerbaijan Announces Best Female, Male Athletes of 2024

The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan has announced the best athletes of 2024 in various categories.

The title of Best Female Athlete of 2024 was awarded to Yaylagul Ramazanova, and the Best Male Athlete of 2024 went to Hidayat Heydarov.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Yaylagul Ramazanova scored 647 points in the qualification round, finishing in 39th place among 64 competitors. After making it through to the 1/16 final, Ramazanova could not outpace Germany’s Michelle Kroppen, a 28-year-old experienced athlete, who was a bronze medalist at the 2020 Olympics and a World and European Champion. After a 2:6 defeat, Yaylagul Ramazanova, while seven months pregnant, concluded her Olympic journey in 17th place.

Ramazanova was followed by Anna Skidan (athletics) and Mariya Stadnik (wrestling) as the best female athletes of 2024 in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s best male athlete of 2024, judoka Hidayat Heydarov has secured the gold medal in the under 73 kg category at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

This victory marked the first Olympic medal for Azerbaijan at the 2024 Games and added to the 28-year-old judoka's impressive collection, which already includes titles from European and world championships.

Hidayat's victory in Paris was his third gold medal last year after European championship gold in Croatia, establishing his four-time continental title. In 2024, Heydarov also claimed the world champion title in the UAE.

Following his Olympic success, Hidayat maintained his status as the top-ranked judoka in the International Judo Federation’s world rankings for senior men in the under 73 kg category. He currently holds the number one position in the world.

Zelym Kotsoiev (judo) and Hashim Magomedov (taekwondo) followed Heydarov in the best male athletes of 2024 recognitions in Azerbaijan.