Israeli judoka Raz Hershko won a bronze medal at the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, defeating Croatia's Helena Vukovic in the women's over-78-kilogram category to secure her third world championship bronze and second in individual competition.
The medal capped a strong performance by the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist, highlighted by a breakthrough victory over Brazil's Beatriz Souza, the opponent who defeated her in the Olympic final two years earlier.
Hershko entered the quarterfinal having lost all six of her previous official encounters against Souza. This time, the Israeli gained the advantage with a yuko score before the Brazilian received a third penalty, resulting in her disqualification.
The victory sent Hershko into the semifinals, where she suffered a quick ippon defeat against South Korea's Hyeonji Lee. She recovered to beat Vukovic in the bronze medal contest and return to the world championship podium for the first time since 2023.
Earlier in the competition, Hershko opened with an ippon victory over Taiwan's Ling Fang Chang after applying an armlock just one minute and 50 seconds into the contest. She then defeated Estonia's Emma-Melis Aktas with a golden-score yuko in a more demanding encounter.
The bronze marked another milestone in Hershko's successful international career. After claiming individual world bronze in 2023, she went on to win Olympic silver in Paris in 2024, establishing herself among the leading judokas in her weight category.
Raz Hershko (right) faces Beatriz Souza in the quarterfinals
(Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
Hershko missed the 2025 World Championships in Budapest because of Israel's military operation against Iran. Her preparations were also disrupted this year when another military operation forced her to leave Tashkent, causing her to miss a scheduled competition.
Despite those setbacks, she continued to produce strong results, winning gold at the Austrian Grand Prix and capturing another European Championship title. That victory made her the first Israeli woman to win multiple individual European judo titles, joining Arik Ze'evi and Sagi Muki among the country's multiple-time champions.
Saturday's bronze added another major international medal to Hershko's collection and confirmed her continued place among the world's top heavyweight judokas.