Israeli Judoka Raz Hershko, who was crowned champion at the European Judo Championships Seniors Individuals 2024 finals on Saturday, dedicated the gold medal she won to Lieutenant Yonatan Goutin, who fell during clashes against Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7.
"I’m happy, but this happiness is incomplete. I dedicate this medal to Yonatan, without whom this victory isn’t whole," said Hershko. Goutin’s family was very excited to see his pictures on the screen: "It’s empowering for us that you aren’t being forgotten."
This isn’t the first time since October 7 that Hershko has dedicated her wins to Goutin, who served as a communication officer in the IDF’s Multidimensional Unit. Her words move his family to tears, who are surprised at every one of her tributes. "Yesterday, and in the previous competition as well, she dedicated her medals to Yonatan," Yonatan’s mother, Ella Goutin, told Ynet.
"When we saw her victory and she spoke and said it wasn’t complete because Yonatan wasn’t here, it crushed us because it's true," she adds. "It's so empowering that they don't forget him and that he’s in the minds of many people and friends. We talked via WhatsApp yesterday and she was very emotional. She sent me the picture with the medal and a sticker that had the sentence taken from the book Yonatan read: 'The person you want to be is waiting for you to wake up,' and it moved us."
Goutin and Hershko met during judo training. Goutin began his journey in the sport at the age of 4 and trained at the Wingate Institute until the age of 18 when he decided to enlist in the IDF.
According to Goudin’s mother, they weren’t close friends, yet Hershko chose to dedicate her medals to Yonatan. "She doesn't owe us anything. She met Yonatan in the national team, and they trained in nearby halls and weren't the closest of friends, but they congratulated each other on their victories and always said hello and asked how the other was doing.
"Yonatan was on the men's national team from 2017 to 2021, then decided to retire and enlist as a sportsman. It was a tough decision for him. He wasn't among the leading stars in judo, but he had several victories. It's been two years since his retirement and she still remembers him,” she said.
“She approached us after the funeral and at first, my husband and I couldn't believe it was her. We knew her from training, and my husband asked, 'Raz, is that you?' We couldn't believe it. It was a big surprise for us. She said that this is where she needs to be now, and that's her greatness."
Ella recounts how Hershko’s modesty reminds her of her son. "Yonatan was the humblest person I knew. Every time he won in any competition, he would say there was a 24-hour rule that says that whether you win or lose, after 24 hours, you reset your mind and move on, and it very much reminds me of Raz, who is a very modest girl.”
“The fact she dedicates the medals to him isn’t taken for granted. She does it wholeheartedly and it reminds me of Yonatan because he was as modest as her,” she adds.
"The values he acquired in judo, and his motivation probably also expressed themselves in the battle in which he fell. In that battle, when he entered Be’eri with the small team of 11 soldiers, these are also values taught from judo,” his mother said.
“He never left anyone behind in his life. Raz is also like that, and she said that he is always with her in her heart, and that's not obvious. She's amazing. I believe that the good often win. If everyone were like Raz and Yonatan, we would have won the war long ago."