Israeli Judo Olympian Yarden Gerbi Retires
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli judoka Yarden Gerbi, who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, said she would retire from competitive judo.
In her announcement on Tuesday morning Gerbi said: “I felt that the fire in me had gone out.”
“I don’t have the energy to give my all on the [judo] mat… I’m fulfilled, I don’t have the strength to get more out of myself,” Gerbi, 28, also said.
Gerbi earned the gold medal in the world championships in 2013, and silver in 2014. Judo’s European Senior Championships will be held next year in Israel.
She said she was still considering her post retirement plans, which are said to include completing her college degree and teaching judo to young people.
Gerbi defeated Miku Tashiro of Japan for Israel’s first Olympic medal since the 2008 games in Beijing.
“The medal is for all of Israel, for everyone who supported me and cheered me on,” Gerbi said after her victory. “I’m waiting for someone to wake me up. I gave my soul and it paid off. Whoever said you can’t succeed in Israel is wrong.”
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO