Israeli judoka wins gold medal in China
Yarden Gerbi beats all 4 opponents to take first place in Olympic qualifying tournament
Israeli judo sensation Yarden Gerbi won first place in the Qingdao Grand Prix Thursday, an international judo competition held in Qingdao, China.
Gerbi, who competes in the under 63-kilo category, won all four of her matches in less than four minutes on her way to the gold.
The victory marks Gerbi’s third gold medal in less than six weeks, having also won international grand prix tournaments in Tashkent and Astana.
“This medal is very important to me, I was able to prove to myself that even on an off day I can beat any rival,” Gerbi said, according to a Ynet news report.
Gerbi won a silver medal in the 2014 Judo World Championships, where the 25-year-old had a remarkable run as she beat all of her opponents before reaching the finals.
The three-day tournament in Qingdao is a qualifier for athletes hoping to compete in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro.