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Since the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she was part of the team that claimed bronze in the mixed men's and women's event, Israeli judoka Raz Hershko has blossomed. In every competition she has participated in since then, she has medaled, and is now ranked third in the world in her weight class, 78 kg. and over.
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This week, Hershko, 23, will face her first big test of the year when she competes for the first time at the European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her goal is clear: To continue her positive momentum and score further successes and, if possible, return with a medal.
Shortly before she flew out, Hershko gave an interview to Israel Hayom in which she spoke about the preparations, the difficulties she experienced in her childhood, and her moments of crisis, her dreams, and her relationship with her partner, Neta Malkinson, who competes in women's kayaking and participated in our conversation.
"I'm at a good moment. I'm on the up," says Hershko. "I can't put a finger on exactly why it's happening now, but I'm continuing to train hard with Shani Hershko [the national team trainer, and Raz's uncle] and the rest of the team. Every session we learn how to improve and what needs to be worked on so I'll succeed in getting to the top of my weight class. I'm learning from competition to competition."
Q: Where did the change begin?
"At the Tel Aviv Grand Slam, I felt things were changing. I had just returned from an injury, from an operation on my elbow and for me, that was a turning point. I decided I would put everything behind me and that the only thing that matters is judo, which takes first place in my life right now."
Q: How much did the team bronze medal in Tokyo contribute to that?
"An Olympic medal has been a dream of mine from a young age. It's true, I didn't win an individual medal, but I came in after a very good year in which I managed to make the Olympic criteria. I did well in the individual competitions and even though I left, I lost in the round of 16 to a Japanese judoka, I just felt I was in a good place. I'm enjoying judo, no matter how hard things are and I'm just working on going as far as possible."
Q: What's changed with Raz Hershko?
"I began to understand more how I need to be on the mat and in the weight class that I'm competing in right now, where you can win with an amazing ippon, but winning on penalties is also okay. I understood how to fight in longer bouts and to extract the maximum in every second. On a personal level, I learned not to give up anything and to enjoy hard work, and of course, my big dream is still there, but there are a lot of smaller dreams on the way."
Q: The women's national team coach, your uncle Shani Hershko, must be very happy.
"I think he's happy, but there's always room to improve. It's true that I won five medals, but they aren't all gold. And even if they had all been gold, there would still room to improve because I lost bouts on the way. I'm learning from every defeat and every opponent.
Q: What's it like working with him?
"It's like working with any other coach. Since I've been working with Shani, there hasn't been a moment where I've thought about the fact that he's my uncle. It's always been Shani the coach and Raz the judoka. The question that should be asked is do I even remember that he's my uncle, because most of the time we're on the mat in training camps or overseas and in those situations he's totally my coach. I didn't get any special treatment; I'm just like anybody else."
Q: Where else can you improve?
"I don't think there's anyone who's perfect. I have to improve my stamina and perhaps my technique a little."
Q: The women's national team has gone up another level over the last season.
"Shani and the incredible team we have here have managed to create a real bond as a team where we all lift each other. Even though it's an individual sport, each one of us goes onto the mat for the team and fights till the end without giving up. I think people can see that change and I think we will become one of the strongest teams in the world. "
Q: It sounds like you all have a great connection with each other.
"People always ask me whether I have friends on the national team. It's much more than friendship; we're like a family, we spend most of our time together, training camps, flights, overseas competitions, and we're together every day on the training mat or in the gym. There are girls on the team who even if I don't say anything will know exactly what I'm going through. They're here to help me and I'm here for them."
Q: Do you feel you can beat any opponent?
"Raz today can go out onto the mat and give everything she's got at every given second. If that brings victory, then I'm the happiest person out there. But even if it doesn't, I know how to work even harder to win next time."
Q: What are your advantages over your opponents?
"I'm quicker. I have a large variety of routines both left and right-sided, low, high, and kicking."
Q: Were there moments of crisis?
"Obviously, I always say that in competitive sports, most of the time you experience failure, losses, and learning. The happy moments when you're on the podium are few and far between. But the difficult moments are the ones that teach us, at the end of the day, to reach the happy moments. When I had surgery on my elbow, I was at a breaking point and when the first COVID lockdown ended and no one knew what would happen with the Olympics, I was told it would be a good chance to undergo the operation and have time for proper rehabilitation. It was like, 'Do I go for my dream or do I watch everyone from home?'"
Q: What's the best thing about judo?
"Judo has given me self-confidence, faith, and the privilege of being at one with myself. I know that if I want something, I can achieve it. Judo has taught me how to work hard, be determined, and persevere. It was really difficult for me as a kid when the other kids called me a tomboy because I was in a 'men's sport.' I could have got up and left, but I chose to stay. The coaches helped me, my family supported me, and that's what built me. Judo is a huge part of who I am today."
Q: Have the things you've been through helped you to deal with difficulties?
"I've grown up, matured, and become stronger. There's an incredible team here, there's always someone to turn to. They help me be the best there is, and that's a real strong point. There are days when I wake up in the morning and I say 'I just want to go back to sleep,' but then I slap myself and say, 'What do you mean you don't want to get up?' As soon as I get to the Wingate Institute, I pull myself together and realize that there's no other option."
Q: There must be a lot of kids that identify with you
"There are a lot of kids who are really excited to see me and ask for my autograph. They come up to me and say, 'well done' and tell me I'm an inspiration, and that feels really good. I'm very happy to be an inspiration to other kids. Judo gives you a lot – balance, self-confidence, and you get to meet new friends.
Q: Is there a fear of failure?
"I know that as long as I don't give up and I try everything, there's no reason to be afraid of failure. If I tried everything and didn't give up for a moment, what more can I do?"
Q: Do you see yourself continuing as a coach after your judo career?
"I'm not thinking about that at the moment; I'm only thinking about here and now, about the fact that I have a training session, and that I'm going to the European Championships. It could be that the thought crosses my mind, but I'm not going to think about it too much right now. I'm focused on today and the moment because every day that passes will never come back."
The woman in her life
The person who shares Hershko's moments of joy and sometimes her disappointments is her partner, Neta Malkinson, 22, an athlete who competes in women's kayaking and has been marked as an Olympic hopeful for Paris 2024. Malkinson recently suffered an injury and is in rehabilitation.
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The two met three years ago when Malkinson was in physiotherapy at the Wingate Institute. They became good friends and soon became a couple. Sometimes they watch each other train. Hershko says she once tried to paddle Malkinson's kayak. "It's really difficult, don't try it," she says laughing.
Malkinson, who thus far has stayed out of the spotlight, came with Hershko to the interview but preferred to give the stage to her partner. She did, however, join the conversation once, saying, "I haven't tried judo, but I've been nagging her to teach me some tricks. I find it very interesting, I like a lot of different sports," she says.
Q: Are you dreaming about making the Paris Olympics together?
"Yes, that is definitely one of my dreams," says Hershko. "That would be cool," adds Malkinson.
Q: Will you cheer each other on?
"She can cheer me in front of the TV screen. We keep things separate."
Q: Will Hershko and Malkinson compete at the Olympics together? Does Neta have a role in your success?
"Neta is a big part of my life, my happiness, and my joy. I will give her the credit due, but I still think I've gotten where I am through my own efforts."
Q: How did your family react to Neta?
"With a lot of love. My parents always said, 'Whatever makes you happy, makes us happy.' So when they met Neta they were really happy, because Neta is amazing."
Q: You both come from completely different sports. What do you talk about at home?
"We come from different branches of sports and opposite ends of the country, but it's fine. We talk about everything but sports. She [Neta] wants to know about judo and I always get annoyed and say I'm tired, I just finished a training session. But later on, I explain it to her."
Q: Do you talk before competitions?
"We talk a day or two before competitions, but not on the day itself. At the Tel Aviv Grand Slam I didn't she was coming to cheer me on. I don't need to know she's there. Even when I'm overseas she cheers me on from her phone screen. If she's watching from the arena, then I prefer not to know until after the competition."
Q: Do you have nicknames for each other?
"We call each other 'Shoshi.'"
Next stop – the European Championships
"It's really exciting to compete at the European Championships," says Hershko ahead of this week's event. "A medal at the European Championships is something I've always aspired to. Doesn't matter whether I'll rank first, third or 25th; in every bout that I compete in, when I go onto the mat, I'll give absolutely everything. I can't promise a medal, but I can promise that I will work as hard as possible, that I won't give up, and that I will fight until the end."
Q: If you win a medal, whom will you dedicate it to?
"First of all, to myself, to my dreams, to my goals."
Q: What's your big dream?
"An Olympic gold medal in the individual competition. But on the way I also want to be ranked No. 1 in the world, win a medal at the World Championships, and be European champion. I have a lot of goals on the way."
Q: What annoys you?
"I hate inequality, I don't like hypocrisy, and I hate failing. Even if I'm playing a new game, I can get really annoyed."
Q: And what calms you down?
"Music, my apartment, Neta, my family, the people I love."
Q: What's your favorite judo routine?
"Ko Uchi Makikomi." (A wrap-around throw)
Q: Is there anything you would change about yourself?
"Sometimes I'm too nice.
Q: Whom have you learned the most from?
"Ever since I can remember, I've always looked to Shani, my coach. Every day I learn something new from him. If we're talking about somebody international, then Yvonne Bönisch, who was a coach with the national team and then went on to be the head coach of Austria. I was really upset when she left, but I'm glad that she's progressed."
Q: Complete the phrase, "If I wasn't a judoka, I would be ..."
"I've always been a judoka, I don't know anything else."
