Yael Arad

Yael Arad ( _he. יעל ארד) (born May 1, 1967 in Tel Aviv) was the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal, ending a long period of 40 years where Israel was unable bring back a medal from the Olympic games. She is widely recognized as one of the country's most successful athletes of all time, and is credited with bringing the judo sport to the athletic mainstream.

Judo career

Arad began training in judo at the age of 8, tagging along with her older brother to his lessons. Lacking judo partners, she trained with the coach of the men's team.

In 1983, at the age of 16, Yael finished runner-up in a 56 kg class German Open Cadets Championship. Although frustrated, thinking she should have won the tournament, she believed she could become a world champion. To do this, however, she needed to travel abroad for intensive training in a professional level, since in Israel judo was a underdeveloped and under financed sport at the time, far away from the athletic spotlight.

After consistent training, she won her first international title in a middleweight competition in 1984.

After her obligatory army service, Arad found encouragement from past judo champions in Europe, and began training in Europe and Japan. She steadily improved her results and placed 2nd in the German Open Championship in 1988. The following year, she finished 3rd at the European Championships.

In 1990, Arad defeated the world #1 and #2 judocas before losing in the finals and taking home the silver medal in a tournament in Germany.

Arad lit the torch at the 1993 Maccabiah Games.

Arad finished in 2nd place at the 1993 World and European Championships, and placed 5th at the 1995 World Championships.

On the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Arad had been crowned Israeli champion 16 times and had competed in 49 international competitions, winning 24 medals; seven gold, eight silver, and nine bronze.

In 1997, she was elected to the Israeli Olympic Committee as a sports representative.

After retiring from the sport, Arad continued with Judo as a coach and sports entrepreneur. Today she holds a key management position in a well-known children product company, and can be sometimes heard on national television commentating during judo competitions.

Olympics

Arad won a silver medal in the half middleweight (under 61 kg) judo discipline in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. After winning her medal, she dedicated it to the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre.

Arad returned to the Olympics in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but she suffered from a viral infection and finished in 5th place. She then assumed judo coach position for Israel during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

A two-time Olympian, Arad put judo on the map in Israel, making it a popular sport in the country, especially during international competitions such as the Olympic games.

Highlights

*1991 – World Championships bronze medalist
*1991 – Paris Tournament gold medalist
*1992 – Olympic silver medalist
*1993 – European champion
*1993 – World Championships silver medalist

References

* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=ARADYAE01 Olympic biography]
* [http://www.jewsinsports.org/ Jews in Sports]
* [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/YaelArad.html Jewish Virtual Library biography]