"This is my debut at the European Championship among adults. In general, it was my first performance at the adult level in the international arena."
Idman.Biz reports from Albania that these words were said by Ali Tsokaev (92 kg), who won a gold medal at the European Championship held in Albania.
The athlete shared his joy of winning on his debut:
"I managed to win a gold medal right on my debut. A month ago, I competed in the European Championship among wrestlers under 23 years old. I won there too. I thank the coaching staff, the entire Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation, fans, doctors, everyone who participated in our victory."
He also spoke about the responsibility that fell on him after the defeat of his teammates: "How difficult was it to win after two defeats of my teammates? To be honest, there was a little pressure because things didn't go as we wanted to start this day. I prepared normally, and that's why I managed to win."
Finally, Tsokaev stated that he wants to compete in the 97 kg weight category next year.