Blue-and-white delegation disappoints at World Judo Championships in Paris.
By ALLON SINAIArik Zeevi(photo credit: Reuters)
The World Judo Championships in Paris will only officially come to a close on Sunday, but they already came to a disappointing end for the Israeli delegation on Saturday.The 34-year-old Arik Ze’evi was hoping to win a medal at the Palais Omnisports de Paris in Bercy and gain some confidence ahead of next summer’s Olympics, but he was knocked out in the second round of the under-100 kilogram competition on Saturday, losing to Latvian Jevgenijs Borodavko.
“I felt good and sharp, but one mistake cost me the competition,” said Ze’evi, who has nevertheless all but clinched his place at the 2012 London Games. “I’m very frustrated. I wanted to prove that I’m in good shape.”There were also high hopes in Paris for Alice Shlesinger and Yarden Gerbi, a pair of blue-and-whiters who are fighting for a single Olympic berth in the women’s under-63kg competition.However, the battle between the two to represent Israel in London is set to go down to the wire after Shlesinger fell in the second round and failed to extend her lead over Gerbi, who was knocked out in the third round and has still got some ground to make up on her big rival.
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