Israel’s Raz Hershko looks to next challenge after Bronze win at Judo World Championships

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko won a bronze medal at the Judo World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, overcoming setbacks from the 2025 war with Iran and a security withdrawal from the Tashkent Grand Slam. The 28-year-old dedicated her victory to fallen soldier Yonatan Goutin, killed on October 7, 2023, but expressed disappointment at not winning gold, planning two days off before resuming training.

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko won a bronze medal at the Judo World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, overcoming a series of setbacks that had kept her from competing in recent major events. In 2025, the 12-day war between Israel and Iran closed Israeli airspace, preventing her from traveling to the World Championships in Budapest. Earlier this year, she withdrew from the Tashkent Grand Slam after the Shin Bet ordered the Israeli team to leave Uzbekistan. Hershko, 28, burst into tears after securing the medal. She dedicated her victory to the memory of Yonatan Goutin, an Israeli soldier killed on October 7, 2023, who had trained in judo for 14 years and was a member of Israel's youth national team. Despite the achievement, Hershko expressed disappointment, saying she had aimed for gold. She said she would take two days off before returning to training ahead of another competition next week. Hershko won an individual silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a gold medal at the 2024 European Championships. She competes in the women's heavyweight division.