Israeli Judo Team Competes with 16 Athletes at Lausanne Grand Slam

The 2026 Lausanne Grand Slam judo competition begins today, featuring 513 judokas from 77 countries. Israel is sending a large delegation of 16 athletes to compete. The event opens with lighter weight categories, where Israeli judoka Yehonatan Wexler (under 60 kg) will be the first to compete for the team. Wexler recently placed second at the European Open in Benidorm, Spain, in May.

Other notable Israeli competitors include team captain Timna Nelson Levi (under 57 kg), who last competed two months ago at the Grand Prix in China, and Matan Kukolayev (under 66 kg), who won gold at the European Open in Estonia in June. Additional team members are Inbal Shemesh (under 57 kg), Ili Hayun (under 52 kg), who earned silver at the European Open in Benidorm, and Gefen Primo (under 52 kg), who reached the round of 16 at the Grand Slam in China.

The full Israeli roster also includes Karam Primo (under 63 kg), Adelina Novitsky (under 70 kg), Maya Kogan (under 70 kg), Yehonatan Elbaz (under 73 kg), Ohad Moritz (under 73 kg), Yuli Alma Mishiner (over 78 kg), Itay Bibitko (under 81 kg), Roy Sivan (under 90 kg), Segev Ben Harush (under 90 kg), and Yosif Simin (under 100 kg). Notably absent is Raz Hershko (over 78 kg), who was invited by the Brazilian Judo Federation to participate in an exhibition match tomorrow against Olympic champion Beatriz Souza in Brazil.

The competition is expected to be a significant test for the Israeli team as they aim to build on recent successes and gain valuable international experience ahead of future major tournaments.