For the first time ever, Israel won two Olympic medals in a single day. The sixth day of the Paris 2024 Olympics began with high hopes, and judokas Inbar Lanir and Peter Paltchik delivered spectacularly.
Lanir (under 78 kg) secured a silver medal after displaying dominance throughout the day, only to be defeated in the final by the world number one. This achievement matches the best performance by an Israeli judoka, set by Yael Arad in Barcelona in 1992.
Following Lanir’s semifinal victory, Paltchik (under 100 kg) claimed Israel's second medal of the day, and the 15th ever for the nation, earning a bronze.
Lanir, 24, ranked third in the world and the 2023 world champion, lost the gold medal match to Italy's Alice Bellandi, the top-ranked judoka in the weight category. Despite trailing by a waza-ari, Lanir received a third penalty before the match ended, resulting in her defeat. In the semifinals, Lanir defeated reigning world champion and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Anna-Maria Wagner of Germany (ranked second globally) with an ippon in just 1:46 minutes.
In the quarterfinals, she won against the experienced Dutch judoka Guusje Steenhuis (ranked eighth) with a stunning ippon in 23 seconds, marking her first victory against Steenhuis in their fourth encounter, arriving at just the right moment. Lanir advanced to the round of 16 due to her high ranking and won her first match against Mongolia's Khoslen Otgonbayar (ranked 28th) by scoring a waza-ari and then securing a hold.
Lanir had been seen as a strong medal contender, having won the world championship last year, gold at the 2023 Masters, and two European Championship bronzes (2023-2024). She was also part of Israel’s team that won a bronze medal in the Tokyo 2020 team event and the 2022 World Championship. Despite a slow start to 2024, with only a bronze at the European Championship in Zagreb four months ago, Lanir's strategy to reduce competition load before the Olympics paid off significantly.
In the men's category, Paltchik (under 100 kg) secured a bronze medal from the repechage. Paltchik began with two wins but lost to the reigning world champion in the quarterfinals. He rebounded with a win in the repechage and then defeated Switzerland's Daniel Eich (ranked 14th) in a dramatic medal match. Paltchik, the 2023 world bronze medalist and 2020 European champion, entered Paris ranked 11th globally.
He led by a waza-ari against Eich, but five seconds before the end, the referee mistakenly issued a third penalty against him, which would have meant a loss. After review, the extra penalty was rescinded, reviving Paltchik’s chances. He maintained his lead to win the match.
In the repechage, Paltchik defeated the Netherlands' Michael Korrel (ranked seventh) with an ippon during golden score. Earlier, he lost to world champion Zelym Kotsoiev of Azerbaijan (ranked first), with a waza-ari that Paltchik appeared to equalize in the final seconds, only for it to be overturned by video judges.
In the round of 16, Paltchik beat France's Aurélien Diesse (ranked 50th), despite strong local support chanting "Aurélien, Aurélien." The match lasted 8:45 minutes, ending only when Diesse received a third penalty. Paltchik began his day in the first round, defeating Mongolia’s Gonchigsuren Bat-Ochir (ranked 10th) with an ippon in his Olympic debut. Paltchik dominated from the start, showing more aggression and easily throwing his opponent.
Paltchik's medal is also a significant victory for coach Oren Smadga, whose son Omer fell in battle in Gaza in June. The Barcelona 1992 bronze medalist traveled to Paris to coach the team, ending the first 30 days of mourning. This achievement symbolizes the triumph of spirit and reflects the complex times Israel faces in the ongoing conflict, where every joy is intertwined with profound sorrow.