Israeli Judo Stars Take Gold at International Grand Prix in Tel Aviv

In a tournament in which 545 judokas from 83 countries competed, Israelis Ori Sasson and Peter Paltchik won the +100 kg and -100 kg categories ahead of Tokyo Olympics.

By Naama Barak, Israel21c.org

Israeli judokas Ori Sasson and Peter Paltchik took home two gold medals last Saturday night, winning first place in the over-100kg and under-100kg categories, respectively, at the Tel Aviv Grand Prix.

First to win was Paltchik, who overcame Brazilian opponent Leonardo Goncalves in their category’s finals to roaring support from the crowd. Sasson then bested Kim Sungmin from Korea.

“I have no words to describe these moments! A huge thank you for being there for me – you are the best audience in the world and I love you,” Sasson wrote on Facebook following his win.“Grand Prix Tel Aviv 2020 – a gold medal and lots of happiness in my heart.”

The two athletes have their sights set on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they are set to compete. Sasson has already successfully competed at the Olympics, winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Games in Brazil.

But first, the two will be on the mat again in two weeks’ time, when they will compete at the Paris Grand Slam on February 8.