In another major achievement for Israeli athletics, judoka Raz Hershko captured the bronze medal on Saturday at the World Judo Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 28-year-old athlete, competing in the women’s over-78 kg category, defeated Croatia’s Helena Vukovic in the decisive medal bout to secure her place on the global podium.
1+Ranked number one in her weight division and the silver medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Hershko opened the day with successive victories that propelled her into the quarterfinals. There, she faced Brazil’s Beatriz Souza—the reigning Olympic champion who defeated her in the Paris final—and overcame her formidable rival to advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinal round, the Israeli met South Korea’s Lee Hyeon-ji. The contest concluded in just 48 seconds after the South Korean executed a clean ippon, sending Hershko to the repechage bronze-medal bracket. In the final medal contest against Croatia’s Vukovic, Hershko rebounded decisively to seal victory, adding another medal to her international accolades. This marks her second individual World Championship bronze medal, following her third-place finish in 2023.
1+Hershko’s podium finish is the second medal for the Israeli delegation at the World Championships in Baku, following Kerem Primo’s silver medal in the under-63 kg category earlier this week. With Hershko’s victory, Israel concludes the individual championship events with two world medals.
For Hershko, who already holds an Olympic silver medal and multiple European championship titles, the victory marks yet another elite achievement at the pinnacle of global judo. After overcoming her semifinal setback, she rallied to finish the day’s events on the podium and reinforce her standing at the top of the sport.