Israeli Judoka Yuli Vinner Wins Bronze at Lausanne Grand Slam

Israeli judoka Yuli Vinner secured a bronze medal in the +78kg category at the Grand Slam tournament held in Lausanne, Switzerland. The competition concluded on Sunday, marking a significant achievement for Vinner.

Earlier in the tournament, on the first day, Gefen Primo had clinched a gold medal in her category, showcasing strong form ahead of the World Championships in Baku scheduled for October. Vinner's bronze medal match was against Karen Leon of Venezuela, which she won.

Vinner's path to the bronze included a victory over Russia's Ivanova in the second round, followed by a loss to France's Lea Fontaine, currently ranked third in the world. Fontaine defeated Vinner with an ippon less than a minute into their match, sending Vinner to the bronze medal contest.

Several other Israeli judokas competed. Yonathan Elbaz (+73kg) won his first two matches before being defeated in the quarterfinals by Ukraine's Khalilov. He then lost in the repechage round to an opponent from the UAE. Karem Primo (-63kg) won her first match but was defeated by Olympic champion Clarisse Agbegnen of France. Ohad Moriz (-73kg) won his first match but lost in the second round. Other Israeli competitors, including Itay Bivitzko (-81kg), Roy Sivan (-90kg), Segav Ben Harosh (-90kg), Yossef Simin (-100kg), Adlina Novitzky (-70kg), and Maya Kogan (-70kg), were eliminated in earlier rounds. Kogan sustained a knee injury during her match.

The Israeli judo team is preparing for the World Championships in Baku, which will feature both individual and team competitions.