Daniela Krukower

Daniela Krukower

Personal information
Full name	Daniela Yael Krukower
Born	6 January 1975 (1975-01-06) (age 49) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Medal record Women's Judo Representing Argentina World Judo Championships 2003 Osaka - 63 kg Pan American Games 2003 Santo Domino - 63 kg 2007 Rio de Janeiro - 63 kg Pan American Judo Championships 2003 Salvador - 63 kg 2009 Buenos Aires - 63 kg 1999 Montevideo - 63 kg 2007 Montreal - 63 kg 2002 Santo Domingo - 63 kg 2005 Caguas - 63 kg 2006 Buenos Aires - 63 kg 2008 Miami - 63 kg South American Games 2006 Buenos Aires - 63 kg 2002 Rio de Janeiro - 63 kg Maccabiah Games 2005 Israel

Daniela Yael Krukower (Hebrew: דניאלה קרוקובר; born 6 January 1975 in Colegiales, Buenos Aires) is a former judoka from Argentina.

Biography

Krukower was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a Jewish family, and at an early age moved with her family to Israel where Daniela was introduced to Judo. In the mid 90' Israel judo had two promising female judoka, Einat Yaron and Daniela, both competing in the -63 category. The two girls were more rivals than they were friends. Daniela thought Yaron was favoured by the Israel Judo Association and since the IFJ limits each country to one participant in each category at the Olympic Games she decided to represent her birth country Argentina.

She retired at beginning of 2009/10 season due to lack of motivation after winning gold at 2009 Pan American Judo Championships.

Judo

The highlight of Daniela's career came at the World Judo Championships in Osaka. In the final she beat by ippon Cuban Olympic gold medalist Driulys González. She was not considered a favourite before the championships, but was a known competitor. After her win, Daniela became a celebrity in Argentina and a medal hope for the Olympic Games the following year.

Unlike at the World Championships in Osaka, at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Krukower came as big favourite. She won her first two fights by golden score and in the semi-final she faced Ayumi Tanimoto from Japan. Early in the fight, following a technique by the Japanese judoka, Daniela broke her hand. The extent of the injury was serious and Krukower could not continue in tournament. Driulys González her next potential opponent won the bronze medal without a fight. In result of the injury the Argentine media call Daniela "Iron Lady".

Krukower went on to compete but managed only continental successes.

In the judo competition at the 2005 Maccabiah Games, she won a silver medal when 17-year-old Alice Schlesinger defeated her in the final.

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
2000	Summer Olympic Games	9th	Middleweight (- 70 kg)
2004	Summer Olympic Games	5th	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2008	Summer Olympic Games	9th	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
1997	World Judo Championships	AC	Middleweight (- 66 kg)
1999	World Judo Championships	???	?
2001	World Judo Championships	DNS	-
2003	World Judo Championships	1st	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2005	World Judo Championships	AC	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2007	World Judo Championships	9th	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
2003	Pan American Games	3rd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2007	Pan American Games	3rd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
2005	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2006	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2007	Pan American Judo Championships	2nd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2008	Pan American Judo Championships	3rd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2009	Pan American Judo Championships	1st	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
2002	South American Games	2nd	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)
2006	South American Games	1st	Half-Middleweight (- 63 kg)

See also

• List of select Jewish judokas

External links

• Daniela Krukower at JudoInside.com
• Daniela Krukower at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Personal site
• Facebook