Denis Vieru

Denis Vieru (b. 10 March 1996) is a Moldovan judoka who competes in the up-to-66 kg weight category and is considered one of the most valuable athletes in the history of judo in the Republic of Moldova. He began practising the sport at the age of seven, at the Olympic Sports Club in Chișinău, rapidly developing his passion and his talent.

Career

Vieru climbed gradually through the world judo rankings. In 2016 he became European champion in the U23 category, being the first Moldovan to achieve this performance after Marcel Trudov in 2005. In 2019 he won several medals at the Grand Prix and Grand Slam tournaments of the International Judo Federation, including Moldova's first gold medal at a Grand Prix, in Antalya. He took bronze medals at the European Championships of 2020 and 2022, and in 2023, in Montpellier, he became European champion, one of the most important achievements of his career.

Olympic performance

He took part in the Tokyo Olympic Games of 2020 without reaching the podium, but at the Paris Olympic Games of 2024 he won the bronze medal in the 66 kg event. With this result, Denis Vieru became the first Moldovan judoka to win an Olympic medal, writing a page of history for the national sport.

The consistency of his results and his presence at the highest world level have made him a benchmark for Moldovan judo and a model for the country's young athletes.

A pioneer of Moldovan judo

The bronze medal won by Denis Vieru at Paris 2024 marked an absolute first: the first Olympic medal in the history of judo in the Republic of Moldova. His performance, alongside that of Adil Osmanov at the same edition, confirmed the rise of this discipline in the country. Over the years, Vieru has been a constant presence on the podiums of the International Judo Federation's world circuit, winning multiple medals at Grand Slam and Grand Prix tournaments. Through his European title in 2023 and his Olympic medal in 2024, he has become a benchmark for young judoka and an ambassador of Moldovan sport.