Ariel Ze'evi
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Israel
| ||
| Men's Judo | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
2004 Athens | -100 kg |
| World Championships | ||
 |
2001 Munich | Open kg |
| European Championships | ||
|
1999 Bratislava | 100 kg |
 |
2001 Paris | 100 kg |
|
2003 Düsseldorf | 100 kg |
|
2004 Bucharest | 100 kg |
|
2005 Rotterdam | 100 kg |
|
2007 Belgrade | 100 kg |
|
2008 Lisbon | 100 kg |
Ariel "Arik" Ze'evi (Hebrew: אריאל "אריק" זאבי, born 16 January 1977 in Bnei Brak) is an Israeli judoka, widely recognized as the country's most prominent judoca during the nineties and until this day. Zeevi, a dan 5 black belt in Judo, has made a long and successful career competing in half-heavyweight Judo competitions. He is an Olympic bronze medal finalist in the 2004 Summer Olympics Judo 100kg class in Athens. His current coach is Alex Ahskenazy.
Biography
Ze'evi was born and raised in Bnei Brak, an orthodox Jewish city in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. While growing up, he trained in the local Judo club in his neighborhood together with his older brother, Roni, who was also the club's first local gold medal pioneer after having finished first in the national Israeli Judo Championships. Ze'evi, heavily influenced by his brother and his accomplishment, began training intensively and at the age of 14 won his first national competition in the adult class, thus becoming the country's youngest champion ever. Despite the lack of advanced training facilities, Ze'evi continued training in his local club and steadily closed the gap to world class level, and began competing abroad.
In his personal life, Ze'evi obtained a LLB degree from the Interdisciplinary Center college, in Herzliya.
He also hosted a sports television show for the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.
Professional career
Ze'evi placed 5th in the 2000 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 kg division before winning the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the men's 100 kg division.[1]
He is the 2000, 2003, and 2004 European champion and the 2005 silver medalist. Ze'evi also won the silver medal in the open category in the 2001 World Championships.
He missed the 2005 World championships in Cairo due to a shoulder injury, and subsequently underwent surgery to repair the damage.[2]
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics he failed to win a medal and lost his second match in the condolence bracket. Ze'evi told the Israeli media he does not want to end his career without a victory (probably hinting to the Judo World Championships in 2009).
Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | World Championship, England | 5th |
| 1999 | European Championship, Bratislava (Slovakia) | 3rd |
| 2000 | Sydney 2000 Olympics | 5th |
| 2001 | European Championship, Paris (France) | 1st |
| 2001 | World Championship Open Weight, Munich (Germany) | 2nd |
| 2002 | World Championship, Slovenia | 5th |
| 2003 | European Championship, Düsseldorf (Germany) | 1st |
| 2004 | Olympic Qualification Championship, Paris (France) | 1st |
| 2004 | European Championship, Bucharest (Romania) | 1st |
| 2004 | Athens 2004 Olympics | 3rd |
| 2005 | World Cup, Talin | 3rd |
| 2005 | European Championship, Rotterdam (Netherlands) | 2nd |
| 2007 | European Championship, Belgrade (Serbia) | 3rd |
| 2008 | World Cup Tour, Prague (Czech Republic) | 1st |
| 2008 | European Championship, Lisbon (Portugal) | 3rd |
| 2009 | European Championship, Tbilisi (Georgia) | 5th |
References
- ^ Judoka Arik Ze'evi earns Israel its first medal at Games Haaretz,19 August 2004
- ^ Judo / Ze'evi begins physical therapy but will miss championships Haaretz, 22 August 2007
External links
- Videos of Ariel Zeevi (judovision.org)