Over six years have passed since Gefen Primo, 24, burst into our lives after winning a bronze medal at the European Championship hosted in Israel. The judoka, competing in the under-52 kg weight category, only had plans for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but the win earned her a spot on Shany Hershko's team ahead of Tokyo 2020.
Primo, then 18, became the youngest Israeli judoka (among both women and men) to step onto the podium at a senior European Championship, and continued her streak with a seventh-place finish in her first World Championship.
She competed for the sole ticket to Tokyo against the more experienced Gili Cohen, and Hershko had an interesting take on the battle between the two: "They say that if you have an aging dog at home and you want him to hold on a little longer, the best thing to do is to bring in a puppy. The young dog drives him crazy, and that way he gets another year or two. Here, too, we brought in a crazy puppy that makes Gili crazy."
Primo ultimately won the coveted ticket, but then the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, postponing the planned match by a year. Both judokas gave their all, and Primo, who suffered from severe COVID-19 that year, even won another bronze medal at the European Championship. However, Cohen accumulated more points in the world rankings and received a ticket to the pinnacle event.
Primo didn't take a break from judo and continued training as usual, winning bronze at the World Championship held just before the Olympic Games. Many judo professionals thought Primo should be sent to Tokyo, claiming she was in better shape, and a letter on the matter was even sent to the Olympic Committee, but CEO Gili Lustig dismissed the possibility outright.
The Tokyo Olympics started a year late, and on July 25, 2021, the day Primo was supposed to compete, she went on vacation in Greece with her mother and brother.
Never giving up
Three years later, at an open practice session for the media just before heading to Paris, Primo stands out with her red nail polish on both hands and feet. "It's for balance, for the soul," she explains how important grooming is to her within the demanding routine. This time her place in the Olympic Games is guaranteed, but time hasn't healed all wounds, and when she sits down for this interview, her eyes reveal the pain of those days before her lips do.
They tell of how painful it is to be ready to fulfill your dream — only to see it slip away so quickly. While most of her judo team members are counting their second or even third Olympics, Primo shares her Olympic debut with Maya Goshen.
"Last time, I made preparations until the very last moment, I went through all of the competitions and training camps. Now I know this is the crunch time, the moment has come," she said.
Do you still have thoughts about your previous shot at the Olympics?
"It’s a kind of hole, a deep pit that opened up and formed in my heart, that I want to fill it now. I only watched the team medal during the Tokyo Olympics, which was crazy for me."
Have you done anything different in these three years to become self-reliant?
"I did my best in every training session, every day. Whether it’s waking up earlier and going to bed later because I’m completing another training session or doing something else that I know needs to be done. Not giving up on anything, and as Shany instilled in us: knowing that every day that passes won’t come back, so what I don’t do today – I have no way of going back and redoing. That’s basically what I did."
You’re no longer a surprise in your weight class, your rivals have learned about you.
"I was 18 then. There’s nothing you can do; you can’t be unknown and also be the best. I’ve developed many things in my judo over the years. The difference between my matches from 2018 to today is comprehensive. My fighting spirit, motivation and enthusiasm are still there, but the tools I have aren’t the same at all."
You recently had a serious injury; is it behind you now?
"I went through it. I didn’t compete for half a year. It wasn’t visible in the results charts because when I competed, I did what I needed to do well; I won a medal, I was prepared. I had great years without the Olympics, and now it’s my moment on the biggest stage."
Israel places great expectations on the women’s team you’re a part of. You surely feel it.
"Yes, I think it gives me drive because it’s a well-founded expectation. This is the moment we’ve prepared for all our lives and in every training session. It’s ‘Come on, let’s just do it.’ I always expect the best of myself.”
'You can hear the boos'
Judo was Primo’s first extracurricular activity as a child and also took an interest in gymnastics, dancing, tennis, and triathlon. Professionals say she had the potential to succeed as a triathlete as well, but she chose martial arts.
Amid the war, she also became an ambassador for Israel on the sports front. "We represent Israel in competitions and training camps, which gives us great strength," she shared. "It’s our way of influencing and turning public opinion in our favor."
How do you do that?
"I can talk to my friends from other countries and explain what’s happening to them. Outside of judo, we don’t take risks. If we take a taxi on the way to training, why should we say where we’re from? There are people whose motives we’re not sure of. It’s better to be smarter right now. I don’t need to fight outside of judo."
Have you been booed or received comments about the war?
"You can hear the boos. We feel hostility even in the hotels where we stay. I have to put my uniform in the bag, so they don’t see it because it has the ISR letters on it. We don’t wear any clothing with Israeli symbols."