Moldovan judo star Denis Vieru has once again demonstrated his world-class caliber on the international stage, capturing a hard-earned bronze medal in the -66 kg category at the prestigious Budapest Judo Grand Slam.
The elite tournament in Hungary featured fierce competition, welcoming 504 athletes from 67 countries. Vieru’s campaign began with dominant performances, securing consecutive victories against Nasrullo Rakhmonov (Refugee Team), Ukraine’s Vadym Chernov, and Croatia’s Dani Klacar.
A narrow setback in the quarterfinals against Bulgaria’s Boyan Yotov—who went on to win gold—routed the Moldovan to the repechage. Displaying true resilience, Vieru defeated Russia’s Ivan Chernykh to earn a spot in the bronze medal contest. In the deciding bout for third place, the Moldovan standout outclassed Azerbaijan’s Nizami Imranov to secure his medal. Japan’s Ryusei Seki claimed the category’s second bronze medal, while Mongolia’s Byambasuren Ulziibayar took home the silver.
