Shahana Hajiyeva
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 6 July 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Judoka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Azerbaijan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Paralympic judo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic Games |  (2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Profile at external databases | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IJF | 20751 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| JudoInside.com | 95692 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shahana Hajiyeva (Azerbaijani: Şəhanə Hacıyeva; born 6 July 2000)[1] is an Azerbaijani former Paralympic judoka. She won the gold medal in the women's 48 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[2] In 2025, she was permanently banned from para judo.
Career
Hajiyeva won silver at the 2018 Judo World Championships in Odivelas, Portugal.[3] At the opening event of the 2019 Grand Prix season in Baku, Azerbaijan, she won gold in the women's -48kg event.[4] Hajiyeva made her Paralympic debut at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, where she won gold medal in the women's 48 kg event.[5] In August 2023, she won the European Para Championships in Rotterdam, competing in women's J2.[6]
Permanent disqualification
In May 2025, in the medical classification for the 2025 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Judo World Championships to be held in Astana, the IBSA Medical Committee determined that Hajiyeva's level of visual acuity was above the threshold permitted for the J2 class.[7][8] She was disqualified from the Astana Championships and permanently barred from participating in para judo competitions.[9] The National Paralympic Committee of Azerbaijan has defended Hajiyeva, citing changes to the classification criteria; other sources have accused Hajiyeva of deliberately misrepresenting her ability and cheating.[10]
References
- ^ "Shahana Hajiyeva". 2020 Summer Paralympics. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Berkeley, Geoff (27 August 2021). "Azerbaijan strikes twice as Hajiyeva and Shirinli win Paralympic judo titles". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Odivelas 2018: Champions toppled". International Paralympic Committee. 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "Year's first Grand Prix concludes in Baku". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "Day 3 review: First athletics and judo gold medallists crowned at Tokyo 2020". International Paralympic Committee. 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "Rotterdam 2023: Bologa headlines Para judo champions on day one". International Paralympic Committee. 2023-08-08. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "Попытка удара по чемпионке: Разговоры, что она не видела, а теперь вдруг стала – абсурдны". azerisport.com (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "НПК – о пожизненном отстранении паралимпийской чемпионки". azerisport.com (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "Azərbaycan idmanında qalmaqal: Paralimpiya çempionumuz beynəlxalq yarışlardan uzaqlaşdırıldı". Oxu.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2025-05-10.
- ^ Daffunchio Picazo, Raúl (2025-05-21). "Ban for impaired judoka raises questions". Inside the Games. Retrieved 2025-07-15.