Judo Star Raz Hershko Returns to Israel After World Championships Bronze
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Judo athlete Raz Hershko returned to Israel with a bronze medal from the World Championships in Baku, expressing both happiness with the achievement and disappointment over not reaching the final. She described her quarter-final win over Olympic champion Beatriz Souza as her best match but felt she "fell apart" in the semi-finals. Hershko stated she knows she is "worth gold" and plans to learn from the tournament's challenges, particularly focusing on maintaining balance during difficult moments.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Raz Hershko won a bronze medal at the Judo World Championships in Baku.
- Hershko expressed disappointment after losing in the semi-finals, feeling she "fell apart."
- She described her quarter-final win against Olympic champion Beatriz Souza as her best match.
- Hershko stated she knows she is "worth gold" and aims to learn from her performance.
- She credited Ronald Kokolaev for his help in her preparations for the championships.
Judo athlete Raz Hershko landed in Israel on Sunday, less than 24 hours after securing a bronze medal at the World Championships in Baku. Upon arrival, Hershko reflected on her performance, expressing mixed emotions.
"It's fresh. I am very happy with the medal around my neck, a bronze medal at the World Championships is not a given," Hershko stated, noting this was her second individual medal and third overall at the World Championships. Despite her satisfaction with the bronze, she admitted to feeling a sense of "missed opportunity, disappointment" after losing in the semi-finals. "I felt that at the end of the day I could have won," she said, attributing her preparation to reaching that point but acknowledging that "things didn't work out as I expected of myself." She found solace in reaching the podium even on difficult days, seeing it as encouragement to continue forward.
Hershko described her quarter-final victory over Olympic champion Beatriz Souza as her best match against the Brazilian, stating she was "convinced, sure, and certain that the win would come." She felt this victory gave her momentum, but it did not carry over to the semi-finals. "I will work hard on these mistakes. Nothing was released. It happens, judo," she commented.
Discussing the bronze medal match, Hershko revealed the pressure she felt. "The pressure kicked in the second I stepped onto the mat. A fight for a medal at the World Championships is a stressful and exciting moment," she explained. She acknowledged the difficulty of her match against an opponent she knows well, emphasizing the intense desire to win. "I'm glad that in the end I managed to throw and win," she added.
Hershko attributed her tears at the end of the competition to frustration over not reaching the final. "I fell apart after the semi-final, I had to pull myself together with [unnamed individuals]. The break inside, everything accumulated and burst out. I know I am worth gold, it's a bummer I couldn't express myself," she said. She also credited Ronald Kokolaev as a partner who assisted in her preparations. Hershko concluded by emphasizing the need to stick to her game plan, not compromise, and learn from the tournament's ups and downs, focusing on maintaining balance during difficult moments.
