Lipard beat in -60kg Miljohn Maxlin (Sweden), Blaz Ememrsic
(Slovenia), Andrejs Skomorohovs (Latvia) but was defeated by later silver
medallist Rizvan Magomadov (Russia) in semi final. “I was too confident, I was
thinking that I’d win a gold medal and Estonian anthem will be played,”
Lipard explained.
Fortunately, in bronze medal match 15-year-old Lipard defeated Mikis Tontinidis (Greece) using ippon. “I wasn’t concentrating on medal anymore – I was only thinking about the opponent and how I have to win this match, whatever it takes. It was really my match, the opponent wasn’t that active and it played the medal into my hands.”
In total, the Estonian team has now brought 11 gold medals, 9 silver medals and 11 bronze medals from fourteen summer European Youth Olympic Festivals; among others, he winners include Aleksei Budõlin (1993, gold), Martin Padar (1995, gold), Margus Hunt (2003, gold), Kaire Leibak (2005, two gold medals), Grigori Minaškin (2007, gold), Liina Laasma (2009, gold), Kregor Zirk (2015, gold), Tanel Kangert (2003, bronze), Rasmus Mägi (2009, bronze).