Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik won the gold medal at the Paris Grand Slam on Sunday, defeating Olympic silver medalist Varlam Liparteliani in the under-100-kilogram category.
Paltchik, currently ranked sixth in the world, is the first Israeli judoka to take gold in the Paris Grand Slam – one of the most prestigious judo tournament – since Arik Zeevi in 2004.
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Paltchik is considered one of Israel's top athletes and a potential Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalist.
In 2018, Paltchik brought home several medals, taking gold at The Hague Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Tbilisi, Georgia and at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which led to Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah, being played for the first time at a Gulf State sporting contest.
In February 2019, Israel Hayom signed an endorsement deal with Paltchik, becoming his main sponsor.
"Israel Hayom is proud to support Peter Paltchik, who brings great pride to the State of Israel and Israeli sports," the daily's Editor-in-Chief Boaz Bismuth said at the time.
"We will stand by Paltchik until he stands on the podium in Tokyo 2020 with the gold medal. Paltchik is a symbol of perseverance and industriousness and we believe in him."
