March 29, 2016

Israeli athletes shone in judo and rhythmic gymnastics this week, bringing home gold medals at two European contests.

Judoka Or Sasson won the gold medal in the over-100 kilogram competition at the Tbilisi Grand Prix 2016. Sasson, who won a silver medal at the European Championships in 2015, beat four opponents to get to the podium’s top spot.

Judoka Or Sasson earns a victory over Dutch Roy Meyer, throwing him for yuko in the +100kg final at the Tbilisi Grand Prix 2016. Photo via IJF Media Team - Jack Willingham
Judoka Or Sasson earns a victory over Dutch Roy Meyer, throwing him for yuko in the +100kg final at the Tbilisi Grand Prix 2016. Photo via IJF Media Team – Jack Willingham

“I was fortunate to hear the Israeli national anthem played in Georgia and this is the first time that I have won a gold medal in a Grand Prix competition, which is very exciting,” Sasson wrote on his Facebook page, following a narrow victory in the final round of Roy Meyer from Holland.

“Thanks to this achievement I will enter the top eight in the world rankings which is a very important step for me,” Sasson wrote.

Meanwhile in France, the Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team finished first in the ribbons final at the Thiais Grand Prix in France.

Gymnasts Yuval Filo, Alona Koshevatskiy, Ekaterina Levina, Karina Lykhvar and Ida Mayrin triumphed over their peers from Belarus and Ukraine to take gold.

Fighting for Israel's truth

We cover what makes life in Israel so special — it's people. A non-profit organization, ISRAEL21c's team of journalists are committed to telling stories that humanize Israelis and show their positive impact on our world. You can bring these stories to life by making a donation of $6/month. 

Jason Harris

Jason Harris

Executive Director

More on rhythmic gymnastics