Amazing Malik Umayev! Almost two years after his last competition, on February 29, 2020, in Warsaw (European Open), the Liégeois returned to victory this Sunday, winning son Vise Open.
Arrived in the final, facing Aslanbek Kagermanov, Belgian champion, Malik imposed himself in a masterful way, placing two unstoppable movements to win his first gold medal in his new category, the -81 kg (yes, that of Matthias Casse and Sami Chouchi!), his second in a row at Visé.
Previously, Malik had got rid of the Czech Musil (33), still bronze medalist in 2021, in Prague, placing two devastating movements to win. But that was nothing compared to his demonstration against the Dutchman Van Winden (23), whom he swung after… only twelve seconds. Arriving in the quarter-finals, the Liégeois found Jarne Duyck (19), whom he also knocked down to reach the semi-finals.
There, another Belgian was waiting for him, Remi Decorte (18) who resisted him until seventeen seconds from the end, when Malik Umayev placed his favorite move. Make way for this famous final.
Two years without competition!
At 21, Malik Umayev has already paid a heavy price for bad luck. In November 2020, the Liégeois had to give up the Euro due to a tear in a ligament in his right knee. Worse: barely recovered, in January 2021, Malik was the victim of another tear, this time of the cruciate ligaments of the knee… left!
A serious injury that required an operation, keeping him away from the competition mats for a long and painful period, until the end of last November, when he received the green light to leave for a training camp in Italy. Since then, he dreamed of this moment, which he took advantage of by registering his name for the second time on the winners list of the Open de Visé. No doubt it won’t be the last…
