Judo Star Raz Hershko Reflects on World Championships Bronze
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Judo athlete Raz Hershko returned to Israel with a bronze medal from the World Championships in Baku, expressing both satisfaction and disappointment. She felt capable of winning gold but lost in the semi-finals, later securing third place. Hershko acknowledged the pressure of medal matches and the need to improve consistency and stick to her game plan. She plans to work on her mistakes and maintain focus during difficult moments in competition.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Raz Hershko won a bronze medal at the Judo World Championships in Baku.
- Hershko expressed disappointment over her semi-final loss, feeling she could have won gold.
- She described her quarter-final win against Olympic champion Beatriz Souza as her best match.
- Hershko admitted to feeling pressure during the bronze medal match.
- She plans to work on her mistakes and improve her consistency in future competitions.
Judo athlete Raz Hershko returned to Israel on Sunday, less than 24 hours after securing a bronze medal at the World Championships in Baku. Upon arrival, Hershko shared her mixed feelings about the competition, expressing satisfaction with the medal but also a sense of missed opportunity.
"It's fresh. I am very happy with the medal around my neck, a bronze medal at the World Championships is not a given. This is the second time in individual competition, there is also a team medal. Three medals at the World Championships is a significant achievement," Hershko stated. However, she admitted to feeling regret after losing in the semi-finals, saying, "Yesterday I felt a sense of missed opportunity, a regret, disappointment. It was hard for me after I lost in the semi-finals."
Hershko felt she was capable of winning the gold, attributing her semi-final loss to things not going as planned. "I felt that at the end of the day I could win, the preparation led there. Things didn't work out, it's not what I expected of myself," she explained. Despite the disappointment, she acknowledged the importance of still reaching the podium. "I'm glad that even on difficult days, when not everything goes well, I'm on the podium. It gives a pat on the back, saying 'Come on Raz, everything is fine, keep going.' It's happy, disappointing, and frustrating, but I have a medal at the World Championships."
Reflecting on her quarter-final victory over Olympic champion Beatriz Souza, Hershko described it as her best match against Souza, whom she has faced multiple times. She felt that win gave her momentum, but it didn't carry over to the semi-finals. "I was convinced, sure, and certain that the victory in the quarter-finals would come. This is the best fight I had against Souza. I felt that this victory gave me drive forward, I was on a roll. It turns out not, it didn't happen in the semi-finals. I will work hard on these mistakes. Nothing was released. It happens, judo," she said.
Discussing the bronze medal match, Hershko admitted to feeling pressure. "The pressure kicked in the second I stepped off the stairs onto the mat. A fight for a medal at the World Championships is a stressful and exciting moment," she noted. She described the match as difficult, especially when it went to a golden score, and was relieved to eventually secure the win. Hershko also spoke about her tears after the semi-final loss, explaining that she had "fallen apart" and needed support from her coaches to regroup. She reiterated her belief that she is capable of winning gold, expressing frustration that she couldn't perform at her best. Hershko credited Ronald Kokuliev as a training partner and concluded that she needs to stick to her game plan and learn from the fluctuations inherent in judo matches.
