Karem Primo Wins Bronze at Budapest Grand Slam Judo Tournament

Israeli judoka Karem Primo secured a bronze medal in the under-63 kg category at the Budapest Grand Slam on the second day of the competition. This achievement follows Isaac Azani's gold medal win in the under-60 kg division the previous day, marking a successful outing for Israel in the tournament.

Primo's bronze medal match was against Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi, whom she defeated by achieving a 'yuko' score in golden score. This victory held significant mental weight for Primo, as Krasniqi was the same opponent against whom Primo suffered a severe injury in 2023, sidelining her for two years due to surgery and rehabilitation.

Primo's path to the medal included an 'ippon' victory over South Africa's Noa Munscher, a win against the Czech Republic's Vera Zvornickova decided by penalties, and a loss in the quarterfinals to Slovenia's Andreja Leški, who sent Primo to the repechage. In the repechage, Primo defeated Poland's Natalia Krukowska to advance to the bronze medal match.

Primo expressed her joy and pride in winning her first Grand Slam medal, dedicating it to Israel ahead of Rosh Hashanah. She thanked her coaching staff, including head coach Shani Hershko, Golan Pollack, and personal coach Marat Margolis, as well as the professional and medical teams, the Judo Association, and her club, Beitav Netanya. She also extended special thanks to the company Sano for their support.

Head coach Shani Hershko praised Primo's performance, highlighting her high level of skill, character, determination, and maturity. He noted that defeating a top-ranked opponent and Olympic medalist in the bronze medal match underscores the quality of her achievement and her progress. Hershko also thanked the support staff and organizations that enable the team's success.

Other Israeli judokas competed, with Ohad Moked winning several matches before being eliminated in the repechage. Itay Bitbitko, Yonathan Elbaz, Maya Gozali, and Adelina Novitzky were eliminated in earlier rounds.