International Judo Career
In 1984, at the age of 17, Arad won her first international title in a middleweight competition. She came in 7th in the world judo championships in Vienna. In 1989, 1990 and 1991, she won medals in the European championships. To hone her skills, she underwent training in Japan.
In 1992, at the Olympic games in Barcelona, 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 middleweight competition, but won the silver medal. She lost to Catherine Fleury of France. Arad dedicated the medal to the victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre.
In 1993, she won a gold medal in the European championships. In the world championships that year, she lost in the finals to Gella van de Caveye of Belgium, taking home a silver medal.
She was chosen to light the torch at the 1993 Maccabiah Games. She finished in second place at the 1993 World and European Championships and fifth at the 1995 World Championships.
At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Arad lost to Jung Sung-Sook of Korea, competing for the bronze. She went into the fight sick with a virus and ended up in fifth place.
She served as judo coach for Israel in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Read more about this topic: Yael Arad
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