Israel's Men's Judo Team Faces Talent Gap Ahead of World Championships

Israel's men's national judo team is heading into the World Championships in Baku with a significantly depleted roster, a stark contrast to the dominant era of Israeli male judokas who consistently brought home medals. The previous generation, including prominent figures like the judoka, Peter Paltchik, Ori Sasson, Baruch Shmailov, and Tohar Butbol, established a legacy of success over a decade, making medals almost routine. Their retirement has left a considerable void across multiple weight categories.

A group of younger judokas were identified as potential successors, but many have not lived up to expectations. Yam Wolczak, once considered a top prospect who achieved a fifth-place finish at the World Championships and qualified for the Olympics at 19, has faded from prominence after an early exit in the round of 16. Similarly, Matan Kochlaev, a European U21 bronze medalist, and Yonatan Wexler, a European U18 gold medalist and U21 silver medalist, have not progressed as anticipated, with Wexler failing to qualify for the current World Championships.

Amidst this decline, Yitzhak Ashpiz has emerged as the primary hope for Israeli men's judo. At 18, he is ranked second globally in the under 60kg category, a weight class that lacked strong representation from the previous generation. Ashpiz's impressive resume includes a European Championship bronze medal, making him the youngest Israeli to achieve this, along with multiple Grand Slam victories. He enters the World Championships as the sole standout talent and a medal contender.

The rest of the men's team competing in Baku includes Yonatan Elbaz and the judoka in the under 73kg category, Roy Sivan in the under 90kg, and Yosef Seminin in the under 100kg. This small contingent of five male judokas, alongside six women, underscores the team's reduced depth.

National coach Shani Hershko's decision not to enter the mixed team competition, coupled with injuries to key female judokas like Yuli Mishiner, Gili Sharir, and Inbal Lanir, has contributed to Israel's diminished presence in team events since their Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo 2021. This lack of participation in team competitions could negatively impact qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

In contrast, the Israeli women's team remains strong, led by world number one Raz Hershko (+78kg) and supported by Gefen Primo, Tamarah Nelson-Levi, Inbal Shemesh, Karem Primo, and Maya Goshen. The men's team, however, continues to grapple with the legacy of its predecessors, with Ashpiz carrying the sole medal expectation. Failure to secure a podium finish for Ashpiz at the World Championships would further highlight the significant vacuum left by the previous generation.