Judo bronze medallists Denis Vieru and Adil Osmanov back home

Chisinau, Aug 1 /MOLDPRES/- Judo athletes Denis Vieru and Adil Osmanov, who won bronze medals at the Summer Olympics in Paris have returned home. The Moldovan athletes were met at Chisinau International Airport by dozens of supporters chanting "Moldova!".

Asked by journalists to give his opinion on the 2,000,000 lei prize he is to receive, the judoka replied, "the state prize will be a very nice bonus."

Denis Vieru walked out in front of the crowd pleasantly surprised by the fact that his supporters waited for him for hours until he landed in Chisinau. "I was certainly pleasantly surprised to see so many dear people. Thank you for waiting for me for so many hours. I got a well-deserved medal. Dreams come true. We still have work to do," Denis Vieru told the press.

Judo athlete Denis Vieru won the first medal for the Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan athlete ranked third after a victory in the duel with Frenchman Walide Khyar in the 66 kg weight category. Vieru is the first Moldovan judoka in the history of the Republic of Moldova to win a medal at the Olympic Games.

The second medal, also a bronze, was won by judoka Adil Osmanov in the up to 73 kg weight category, defeating Italian Manuel Lombardo, 2021 European champion and double world vice-champion, in the small final.