Israeli judoka Gefen Primo won a bronze medal Friday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in the United Arab Emirates, competing in the under-52 kg category.
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On her way to victory, she won against Yuri Nakauchi (Japan) and Iraoui Soumiya (Morocco). She was defeated by Chelsie Giles (Britain) in the semifinals. In the match for bronze, Primo defeated Polish judoka Aleksandra Kaleta.
"Although the grand slam ended with 'only' a bronze victory, I am very pleased with Gefen's abilities," coach Shany Hershko said. "In recent months, we have invested great effort in developing new elements, which, to my delight, have been reflected in competitions in Paris and Abu Dhabi. Gefen's medal collection from recent competitions is impressive and puts her in an excellent starting point for 2022."
At the Paris Grand Slam, Primo won gold.
Primo said she was "always happy to finish a competition with a medal. I don't underestimate any kind of medal, but to be honest, I feel disappointed that I didn't eat least reach the final. I feel I am in good shape, and I feel that the hard work I put in helps me advance. I am motivated to persevere.
"And even though I am the one who wins medals, I would like to express my gratitude to my coach Shany Hershko, the team coach Ido Bar, who helps me a lot, President of the Israel Judo Association Moshe Ponte and the team."
Timna Nelson Levy, who also competed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, in the under-57 kg category, won a match against Lkhagvatogoo Enkhrilen (Mongolia) but lost in the semifinal against Priscilla Gneto (France). She suffered another defeat in the match for bronze against Faiza Mokdar (France).
Shira Rishony, who competed in the under-48 kg category, lost in the quarterfinals and was also defeated in the repechage.
Primo's younger sister, Kerem Primo, who competed in the under-57 kg category, bowed out of the competition in its earlier stages, failing to make any of the final rounds.
On Saturday, Gili Sharir, who competed in the under-63 kg category, won a match against Anastasiia Antipina (Ukraine) but lost to Lucy Renshall (Britain) in the quarter-final. Sharir also lost in the repechage.
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