In Stavropol for the first time held the championship of Russia in judo

Stavropol for the first time took the main national judo start and adequately coped with the task. For four days, more than fifty athletes from 55 regions of the country contested the awards of the largest domestic tournament and tickets to the national team.

The agreement on holding the national championship in the region was reached at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2026. The document was signed by the President of the Judo Federation of Russia Sergey Soloveychik and the Governor of Stavropol Vladimirov, who took part in the opening ceremony of the competition.

- Holding the championship of this level is an important step in the development of judo in the Stavropol region. This is an opportunity for our athletes to prove themselves, to adopt the experience of the strongest rivals, and for young children – to see an example of real sportsmanship and be inspired by their own achievements. We pay great attention to creating conditions for mass and professional sports, training young athletes and supporting those who glorify our region and country with their work, Vladimir Vladimirov said in his greeting.

The head of the region wished athletes a fair fight, beautiful fights, self-confidence and well-deserved victories, coaches - pride in their pupils, organizers - a successful championship, and fans - vivid emotions and unforgettable impressions.

Another distinctive feature of the competition in the Caucasian Mineral Waters is the stellar composition of the guests. In particular, the competition was attended by many famous athletes in the past, and not only. For example, to support fellow countrymen from Stavropol came the winner of the Olympic Games in handball, world and European champion Igor Lavrov.

- For the region to receive the strongest athletes of our country is a great honor. Stavropol is able to hold serious high-level events. Thanks to the support of the Governor of the region Vladimir Vladimirov, Deputy Chairman of the government of Stavropol Ivan Nifontov, the Ministry of physical culture and sports of the region is the correct, progressive development of the industry, – said Igor Lavrov.

Not only athletes and guests, but also representatives of the Russian Judo Federation, were satisfied with the level of organization and warm welcome.

- We thank the governor’s team, the regional team of the federation for the excellent organization of the event, said Sergey Soloveichik, President of the Russian Judo Federation.

According to the bronze medalist of the Olympic Games, world and European judo champion, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Stavropol Ivan Nifontov, the Russian Championship can become a springboard for holding other major tournaments in the region in the future.

- For us, the Russian Championship is a very exciting, significant and important event for which we have been preparing for a year. We have received high praise from the leadership of the Russian Judo Federation and are ready to host large-scale sports forums on our land. Our competition is a serious application for the status of the region as one of the centers of judo in Russia. We will continue to move in this direction and hope that in the future the International Judo Federation will trust us to hold competitions of the highest level. I hope that home walls and native stands will help our athletes to get among the best at the end of the tournament, said Ivan Nifontov.

And the athletes did not fail – the Stavropol team, which included 20 judokas, won four medals on their native tatami. On the top step of the podium following the results of fights in weight up to 100 kilograms rose Roman Reznikov. Silver awards were awarded to Levon Tumasyanets (category up to 66 kilograms) and Alim Abitov (73 kilograms). The trophy of bronze coinage in weight over 78 kilograms fell to the share of Veronika Kafanova.

These results allowed the regional squad of the national team to take second place according to the results of the team standings.

I am sure that for many young Stavropol citizens, this tournament became an additional incentive to play sports and strive for victories. And the success of our athletes at the home championship of Russia is a good example for those who are just starting their way in this sport. Congratulations to our medalists and their coaches for a great result. I thank the organizers and everyone who helped to hold the championship at a high level. The Stavropol region once again confirmed that it is ready to host the largest sports competitions of the country, Vladimir Vladimirov assured.