Competing in Judo for women’s under-63kg, Schlesinger hopes to be the first Israeli woman to win an Olympic medal in 20 years.
By ALLON SINAIJudo(photo credit: REUTERS)
It would be quite fitting for Schlesinger to end the drought and become the first Israeli woman to win an Olympic medal since Yael Arad 20 years ago.The 24-year-old is a product of the Israeli judo boom which followed the 1992 Barcelona Games and her time to peak has arrived after amassing medals in major championships over recent years.Schlesinger won her third bronze medal at the European Championships in April, also finishing third in 2008 and 2009.Her first major medal four years ago saw her qualify for the Beijing Games, but she lost both her fights in China. She will at least know what she’s up against after her Olympic experience in Beijing and she also has the advantage of previously excelling on the world stage, becoming the fourth Israeli to claim a medal at the judo World Championships in 2009, finishing in third position in Rotterdam.The former European Junior Champion joined Arad (1991 – bronze, 1993 – silver), Oren Smadja (1995 – silver) and Arik Ze’evi (2001 – silver) in the short list of Israelis to win medals at the Worlds.The aforementioned judokas also have something else in common – all have won Olympic medals, apart from Schlesinger.She’ll be looking to change that in London.Click for full JPost coverage
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