Tel Aviv hosted the last day of the Judo Grand Slam, closing another successful competition in Israel.
Raz Hershko gets his first home gold medal
Judoka Raz Hershko excelled in the +78 kg preliminaries.
He had never won a gold medal in his country before, but this was his day! The audience got exactly what they came for: a perfect finishing touch to a three-day judo party!
Hershko treated viewers to some heartwarming scenes as he celebrated his victory with the future generation of Israeli judokas.
The ambassador of the International Judo Federation (IJF), Lior Raz, presented him with the gold medal.
“Amazing! WOW! It’s incredible, I love it, I love competing at home, with all this crowd, it’s crazy. From the beginning to the end, they were screaming, that encourages you and it’s fantastic,” Hershko confessed to the press.
Gviniashvili and Toth, friends and rivals inside and outside the dojo
Like good friends and rivals, in the -90 kg category, Beka Gviniashvili (from Georgia) and Krisztián Tóth (from Hungary) hugged before the match. The Georgian judoka dominated his rival, taking the gold in a forceful way; and once again showed their respect for each other at the end of the match.
IJF guest Moris Janashvili was present at the medal presentation.
Bellandi sweeps the women’s -78 kg
In the category of less than -78 kg, the world teacher Alice Bellandi, from Italy, took her fourth gold medal of the World Judo Tour, and all in just a few months. There’s no doubt that Bellandi is taking her new category by storm.
IJF Sports Director Vladimir BARTA presented the medals.
Kotsoiev surprises in men’s -100 kg
In -100kg, Zelym Kotsoiev faced the Paris Grand Slam champion of two weeks ago, Michael Korrel, but he bested him with a brilliant display of judo.
Dr. Lisa Allan, IJF Director of Events, presented him with the medal.
“I love wrestling here in Israel. There’s an amazing atmosphere, with so many kids cheering. People here love judo so much, it’s really encouraging,” Kotsoiev says.
Tsetsentsengel added three golds to his collection of Grand Slam medals
In the +100kg category, Mongolian Odkhüügiin Tsetsentsengel added three golds to his Grand Slam medal collection after a hard-fought win over Azerbaijani Kokauri.
The medals were awarded by the IJF Refereeing Director, Mr. Florin Daniel LASCAU.
The local public lived an unforgettable day and turned to their heroes from start to finish. After one of the best bouts of the day, Peter Paltchik brought the crowd to its feet, and although he goes home medalless, it is a great example of the energy and enthusiasm for the future of Israeli judo, as well as how much these stars They are loved in their country.
Source: Euronews Español
