Israel Wins Gold and Bronze in Under-18 Judo World Championships

On the first day of the Under-18 Judo World Championships, Israel secured two medals in the same weight category (under 48 kg). Ella Bar Lev won the gold medal and became the first Israeli to claim the world title in this competition, while Agam Noy earned the bronze medal. Bar Lev began her campaign with a yuko victory over Azerbaijan's Konil Eyvazali, followed by impressive ippon wins against Mongolia's Mishal Altenshahgai, Uzbekistan's Charos Hikmatova, and Brazil's Mikaela Santos in the semifinals. In the final, Bar Lev faced Belgium's fourth-ranked Miles Dufa, winning in golden score by executing a turn and sankaku hold to clinch the championship.

Agam Noy started strong with ippon victories over Kazakhstan's Chokhovtkan and Chile's Maria Valencia but lost in the quarterfinals to Russia's Anna Maria Orishenko. She then advanced through the repechage with a penalty win over Italy's Ludovica Storian and secured bronze after a controversial match against Brazil's Mikaela Santos, where an illegal arm lock by Santos led to a referee consultation and Noy's victory.

Head coach Shani Rashko praised the historic achievement of having two Israeli athletes on the podium in the same weight class, highlighting Bar Lev's impressive performance and Noy's excellent bronze medal. He also commended the professional work of the coaching team, including Arthur Kataev, Tal Almog, Tohar Botbol, and Hinko Mada. Judo Association Chairman Moshe Ponti emphasized the promising future of Israeli judo, attributing success to the dedicated training staff and athletes. The team now looks forward to continuing the competition in the coming days.