August 16, 2016
11:26 am

Yarden Gerbi at Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv on August 15, 2016. (Roy Alima/Flash90)

Every bronze medal has a touch of gray

Even as papers fete the returning Olympic ‘champs,’ coverage is suffused with reminders, subtle and less so, of the smallness and ethereality of it all

By Joshua Davidovich

August 14, 2016
6:10 pm

Judoka Yarden Gerbi celebrates after winning a bronze medal on August 9, 2016, left, and Or Sasson celebrates after securing his bronze medal in judo on August 12. (Jack Guez, Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP)

After judo medals, Israel basks in success of new ‘national sport’

Hailed as national heroes, judokes are inspiring new generation of athletes. ‘Soccer may be more popular, but this is what we are good at,’ says sport chairman

By Aron Heller

August 14, 2016
1:18 pm

Bronze medalist Or Sasson celebrates on the podium of the men's over-100kg judo contest at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 12, 2016. (AFP/Jack Guez)

Bronze medal judoka: Muslim athletes often snub Israelis

Or Sasson says he wanted to show ‘respect’ to Egyptian rival Islam El Shehaby, who says Sasson is ‘not my friend’

By Stuart Winer and Dov Lieber

August 14, 2016
10:34 am

Egypt's Islam El Shehaby (blue) refuses to shake hands after defeat by Israel's Or Sasson in their men's over-100kg judo contest at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 12, 2016. (AFP/Toshifumi Kitamura)

Full medal racket

Between Or Sasson’s judo bronze and an Egyptian opponent refusing to shake his hand, the Israeli press has what to make noise about Sunday morning

By Joshua Davidovich

July 20, 2013
11:19 pm

Tommy Arshansky (blue) at the World Championships, 2011 (photo credit: screen capture BentzWatchJudo/Youtube)

Israeli judokas conquer Europe

Two gold, three bronze medals won by the blue-and-white teams in Russia and Germany

By Aaron Kalman

April 25, 2013
8:55 pm

Israeli wins bronze at European judo championships

Tommy Arshansky secures team’s first medal on first day of the competition

By Aaron Kalman

February 3, 2013
11:46 pm

Assaf Chen (blue) fights a Dutch opponent, 2011 (photo credit: screen capture BentzWatchJudo/Youtube)

Iranian judoka boycotts Israeli

Forfeit gives Assaf Chen the bronze medal; another Iranian refuses to mount podium after Ori Sasson wins gold in his category

By Aaron Kalman

July 11, 2012
6:40 am

File: Alice Schlesinger wearing the official Israeli Olympic uniform, July 8, 2012. (Noam Moskowitz/Flash90)

Israel’s Olympic judokas power the country’s hopes for a medal

Alice Schlesinger and Arik Ze’evi are candidates for the podium in London 2012

By Ben Sales

July 8, 2012
9:34 pm

Israel's entire Olympic delegation (photo credit: Aaron Kalman/Times of Israel)

Ahead of London Games, some already looking to maintain success in 2016

Full Israeli team gathers for first time, energized by dreams of medal podiums and repeat trips to the Olympics

By Aaron Kalman

July 6, 2012
10:56 am

Shimon Peres and Israel's Rhythmic Gymnastics team, January 2012 (photo credit: Mark Nayman/Flash90)

Israel’s must-see athletes at the 2012 Games

Three weeks before the Olympics get underway, a guide to the top blue-and-white medal hopefuls

By Aaron Kalman

Topic: Oren Smadja

Every bronze medal has a touch of gray

Even as papers fete the returning Olympic ‘champs,’ coverage is suffused with reminders, subtle and less so, of the smallness and ethereality of it all

After judo medals, Israel basks in success of new ‘national sport’

Hailed as national heroes, judokes are inspiring new generation of athletes. ‘Soccer may be more popular, but this is what we are good at,’ says sport chairman

Bronze medal judoka: Muslim athletes often snub Israelis

Or Sasson says he wanted to show ‘respect’ to Egyptian rival Islam El Shehaby, who says Sasson is ‘not my friend’

Full medal racket

Between Or Sasson’s judo bronze and an Egyptian opponent refusing to shake his hand, the Israeli press has what to make noise about Sunday morning

Israeli judokas conquer Europe

Two gold, three bronze medals won by the blue-and-white teams in Russia and Germany

Israeli wins bronze at European judo championships

Tommy Arshansky secures team’s first medal on first day of the competition

Iranian judoka boycotts Israeli

Forfeit gives Assaf Chen the bronze medal; another Iranian refuses to mount podium after Ori Sasson wins gold in his category

Israel’s Olympic judokas power the country’s hopes for a medal

Alice Schlesinger and Arik Ze’evi are candidates for the podium in London 2012

Ahead of London Games, some already looking to maintain success in 2016

Full Israeli team gathers for first time, energized by dreams of medal podiums and repeat trips to the Olympics

Israel’s must-see athletes at the 2012 Games

Three weeks before the Olympics get underway, a guide to the top blue-and-white medal hopefuls

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