Israeli judoka Raz Hershko continued her run of success Saturday, claiming a silver medal at the European Judo Championships in Podgorica, Montenegro.
It marks her fourth consecutive podium finish at the continental event and solidifies her status as one of Israel’s top athletes. Hershko’s silver was Israel’s only medal at this year’s tournament, earned on its final day.
Her coach, Shani Hershko, added, "It’s always disappointing to lose a final and settle for silver. On the other hand, Raz’s achievement—reaching the European final four times in a row—is phenomenal. While we expected more and are disappointed to return with only one medal, the women’s team gave a respectable performance. Our athletes were committed and fought hard. Gili Cohen and Timna Nelson-Levy came close to medals, and despite the disappointment, I am encouraged. We’ll continue working hard, aiming for more podium finishes at the World Championships in June."
Hershko began her day with a quick victory over Croatia’s Tina Radic, scoring a fast waza-ari followed by a pin for an ippon within the first minute. In the quarterfinals, she edged Russia’s Alice Strestava in a tight match, maintaining a 1-2 lead with a yuko, a score recently reintroduced to judo rules. A video review overturned a waza-ari initially awarded against her, helping her advance.
In the semifinals, against Italy’s Asia Tavano, Hershko scored an early yuko and two minutes before the end, threw her opponent for a waza-ari and immediately secured an ippon through a pin, punching her ticket to the final.
Hershko returned to competition this February after winning an Olympic silver medal in Paris and earned a bronze at the Paris Grand Slam. Over the past three years between the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, she closed significant personal and competitive gaps, also capturing a world championship bronze—three years after narrowly missing a medal due to a controversial penalty for adjusting her hair tie during a match. In early 2024, she reached the world No. 1 ranking in her weight category, an achievement few Israeli judokas have matched.
