Judo star Adil Osmanov of Moldova was celebrating his Paris Olympics bronze medal win when a sudden injury cut his celebration short. Adil defeated Italy’s Manuel Lombardo in the Judo 73 kg weight class on Monday, July 29, 2024.
To celebrate, the 24-year-old jumped up and down and raised his arms in the air. He then got on his knees and screamed in celebration of his achievement. A fist pump is what appeared to trigger his injury, as he grabbed his shoulder and cried out in pain. It appears as though he could've dislocated his shoulder, according to multiple reports.
UK outlet Metro reported that it's possible that Adil's injury was not completely random. Prior the Paris Olympics, he had been dealing with problems with his shoulder to the point that he was actually told he should have surgery.
Because he was dealing with health issues prior to the Olympic Games, preparing was a challenge, he admitted to Metro. However, he was determined to compete, especially because his late father dreamed of going to the Olympics but was never able to do so.
He told the outlet that he had "no options to back down."
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He added that his father "dreamed that one of his children would reach the Olympics and get a medal." He himself was never able to because of financial limitations.
Adil admitted that dealing with the injury during the Olympics was "very difficult." "During the warm-up I felt bad, but I’ve had that before — and that’s when I got a medal," he told Metro.
Luckily, in spite of his injury, Adil was still able to be present for his medal ceremony.
On the Olympics website, Adil shared that his late father was the one who initially encouraged him to try judo. He comes from a family of athletes.
"I have a sports family. My father was engaged in sambo, my mother in athletics, and my brother and sister are also engaged in judo," he said, per the website.
