Arik Zeevi, the only Israeli athlete to compete in four different Olympic games, is to officially announce his retirement from professional judo in the coming days, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
Zeevi, who won the bronze medal for Israel in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, had a very disappointing showing at the London Games in August, tapping out to Dmitri Peters of Germany just 43 seconds into his only match.
After his loss in London, both Zeevi and his coach, Shani Hershko, intimated that it was his final Olympic match. While the possibility was left open that he would compete in smaller events, at the age of 35, it was obvious that Zeevi’s career was nearing its end.
In addition to Olympic bronze in 2004, Zeevi won nine medals at the European Championship over the course of his career. In 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2012 he won the gold medal; in 2005 the silver; the remaining four times the bronze. He also won the silver medal in the 2001 World Championships.
Born and raised in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak, at the age of 14 Zeevi became Israel’s youngest ever judo national champion.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this