— Hundreds of fans showed up at the airport to welcome Israel’s Olympic medal-winning judokas home. Entering the arrivals hall at Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv Monday night, Yarden Gerbi and Or Sasson were showered with flowers. Supporters waved flags, sang patriotic songs and held up pictures and posters of the athletes. “I didn’t expect so…
Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby has been sent home from the Rio Olympics after refusing to shake the hand of Israeli Or Sasson following the end of their bout, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday. El Shehaby, who was sent home by his own team, lost the fight on Friday and was reprimanded by…
“Israel is a judo empire,” declared Or Sasson after he and Yarden Gerbi both won bronze medals in judo at the Rio Olympics Game. Sasson and Gerbi’s success isn’t the only reason why some are calling judo Israel’s new national sport. Here are six more reasons: Five of Israel’s nine Olympic medals at Rio have…
The Israeli judo fighter Yarden Gerbi made worldwide headlines after she won bronze in the under-63 kilogram weight category in Rio on Tuesday and secured the country’s first Olympic medal since 2008. While Gerbi celebrates her victory over France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou, here are five other interesting facts that you (probably) didn’t know about this 27-year-old…
Yarden Gerbi became the first Israeli to medal at the Rio Olympics, bringing home a bronze in the women’s 63-kg judo competition. Gerbi defeated Miku Tashiro of Japan on Tuesday for Israel’s first Olympic medal since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. “The medal is for all of Israel, for everyone who supported me and cheered…
So far 30 Israeli athletes have guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team for Rio de Janeiro, with the judokas seen as having the best chance to win a medal. The first Israeli to meet the qualifying criteria for this summer’s games was Yakov Toumarkin, who finished seventh in London in 2012 in the 200-meter…
One is nearing the end of his career, already has an Olympic medal and is eyeing another. The other is a decade younger, an up-and-comer who has enjoyed some success but is aiming for her first medal at the Games. Ariel “Arik” Ze’evi, 35, and Alice Schlesinger, 24, are standouts on the Israeli Olympic judo…
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