Yael Arad: Difference between revisions
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'''Yael Arad''' ({{lang-he|יעל ארד}}) (born May 1, 1967) is an [[Israel]]i [[judoka]]. She was the first Israeli to win an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] medal.<ref name="Biography">[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/YaelArad.html Yael Arad – Jewish Virtual Library biography]</ref> She is widely recognized as one of Israel's most successful athletes and is credited with bringing [[judo]] into the athletic mainstream. |
'''Yael Arad''' ({{lang-he|יעל ארד}}) (born May 1, 1967) is an [[Israel]]i [[judoka]]. She was the first Israeli to win an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] medal.<ref name="Biography">[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/YaelArad.html Yael Arad – Jewish Virtual Library biography]</ref> She is widely recognized as one of Israel's most successful athletes and is credited with bringing [[judo]] into the athletic mainstream. |
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==Biography== |
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Yael Arad was born in [[Tel Aviv]]. She began to study judo from the age of eight, tagging along to her older brother's classes. Lacking judo partners, she trained with the coach of the men's team.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/home/article.aspx?id=99845 Sporting heroes for 60 years, [[Jerusalem Post]]]</ref>In 1983, at the age of 16, Yael was runner-up in the 56 kg class German Open Cadets Championship. She won her first international title in a middleweight competition in 1984.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/home/article.aspx?id=99845 Sporting heroes for 60 years, [[Jerusalem Post]]]</ref> |
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After serving in the [[Israel Defense Forces]], Arad trained in Japan. <ref>[http://www.jpost.com/home/article.aspx?id=99845 Sporting heroes for 60 years, [[Jerusalem Post]]]</ref>She placed second in the German Open Championship in 1988, and in 1989, she finished third at the European Championships. In 1990, Arad defeated the two top world judokas at a tournament in Germany, but lost in the finals and went home with a silver medal. |
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In 1992, at the [[1992 Summer Olympics|Olympic games]] in Barcelona, Yael Arad became the first Israeli athlete to win an Olympic medal. She narrowly missed the gold based on a judge´s decision in the half middle-weight competition, but won the silver medal. <ref>[http://www.hamartzim.co.il/lec-inside-eng.asp?id=257 Israel Speakers Center, Yael Arad]</ref>Arad dedicated the medal to the victims of the [[Israel at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich Massacre]].<ref>[http://www.jewsinsports.org/ Jews in Sports]</ref> |
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She was chosen to light the torch at the [[1993 Maccabiah Games]]. <ref>[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:7Kt5w6O0NRIJ:www.maccabiah.com/ntext.asp%3Fpsn%3D5014+yael+arad+athletic+mainstream&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk Maccabiah 18]</ref>She finished in second place at the 1993 World and European Championships and fifth at the 1995 World Championships. |
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By 1996, Arad had won the Israeli championship 16 times and competed in 49 international competitions, winning 24 medals: seven gold, eight silver, and nine bronze. At the Olympics in Atlanta, she took sick with a virus and ended up in fifth place.<ref>[http://info.jpost.com/1998/Supplements/Olymp/onews_main_8.html http://info.jpost.com/1998/Supplements/Olymp/onews_main_8.html]</ref> |
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In 1997, she was elected to the [[Olympic Committee of Israel]].<ref name="Biography" /> She became judo coach for Israel during the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney Olympics]]. |
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==Olympic medal== |
==Olympic medal== |
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After retiring from the sport, Arad continued with judo as a coach and sports entrepreneur. Today she holds a key management position in a children's product company and serves as a TV commentator at judo competitions. |
After retiring from the sport, Arad continued with judo as a coach and sports entrepreneur. Today she holds a key management position in a children's product company and serves as a TV commentator at judo competitions. |
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==Career highlights== |
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*1991 – World Championships bronze medalist |
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*1991 – Paris Tournament gold medalist |
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*1992 – Olympic silver medalist |
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*1993 – European champion |
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*1993 – World Championships silver medalist |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Sport in Israel]] |
* [[Sport in Israel]] |
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Revision as of 14:07, 16 September 2010
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Representing  Israel
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1992 Barcelona | Half Middleweight[1] |
Yael Arad (Template:Lang-he) (born May 1, 1967) is an Israeli judoka. She was the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal.[2] She is widely recognized as one of Israel's most successful athletes and is credited with bringing judo into the athletic mainstream.
Biography
Yael Arad was born in Tel Aviv. She began to study judo from the age of eight, tagging along to her older brother's classes. Lacking judo partners, she trained with the coach of the men's team.[3]In 1983, at the age of 16, Yael was runner-up in the 56 kg class German Open Cadets Championship. She won her first international title in a middleweight competition in 1984.[4]
After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Arad trained in Japan. [5]She placed second in the German Open Championship in 1988, and in 1989, she finished third at the European Championships. In 1990, Arad defeated the two top world judokas at a tournament in Germany, but lost in the finals and went home with a silver medal.
In 1992, at the Olympic games in Barcelona, Yael Arad became the first Israeli athlete to win an Olympic medal. She narrowly missed the gold based on a judge´s decision in the half middle-weight competition, but won the silver medal. [6]Arad dedicated the medal to the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre.[7]
She was chosen to light the torch at the 1993 Maccabiah Games. [8]She finished in second place at the 1993 World and European Championships and fifth at the 1995 World Championships.
By 1996, Arad had won the Israeli championship 16 times and competed in 49 international competitions, winning 24 medals: seven gold, eight silver, and nine bronze. At the Olympics in Atlanta, she took sick with a virus and ended up in fifth place.[9]
In 1997, she was elected to the Olympic Committee of Israel.[2] She became judo coach for Israel during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Olympic medal
After winning her Olympic medal, Arad wrote: "Thursday, July 30, 1992. A fateful day, a watershed day, a day of fame, a day of self-fulfillment. A day that required fifteen years of hard work, endless investment and hidden self-confidence. The day I won the Olympic silver medal. My medal. The first medal of the State of Israel. … I went onto the mat like a stormy wind, after a warm-up that drove from my body all the little demons that threatened to defeat me even before it all began. The first match was against a woman from Spain who had already defeated me twice in the past, but it was clear to me that this time she had no chance. I went off after four minutes, the winner. The second match was against a woman from the Czech Republic. We knew each other well and we both knew I was better. The victory over her contributed a bit more to building confidence for the tough and significant match of the day. Four minutes were all that stood between myself and my life’s dream. … When the match started, the semi-finals, I was there with all my battle gear. And suddenly, it was all over. I had won. … Emotionally it was the highest moment of my life and despite my losing later in the finals the victory in the semi-finals against the woman from Germany was the sweetest of all. That day I changed from a person who wanted to a person who could. And that made all the difference."[10]
Retirement
After retiring from the sport, Arad continued with judo as a coach and sports entrepreneur. Today she holds a key management position in a children's product company and serves as a TV commentator at judo competitions.
See also
References
- ^ Yael Arad Olympic medals and stats
- ^ a b Yael Arad – Jewish Virtual Library biography
- ^ Sporting heroes for 60 years, Jerusalem Post
- ^ Sporting heroes for 60 years, Jerusalem Post
- ^ Sporting heroes for 60 years, Jerusalem Post
- ^ Israel Speakers Center, Yael Arad
- ^ Jews in Sports
- ^ Maccabiah 18
- ^ http://info.jpost.com/1998/Supplements/Olymp/onews_main_8.html
- ^ Sport: Yishuv to the Present