Israeli judoka Raz Hershko on the podium at the European Judo Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria on May 1, 2022. Photo: Carlos Ferreira / European Judo Union / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko won a silver medal at the European Judo Championships in Bulgaria on Sunday, raising the total medal count for Israel’s national women’s team to four.

Hershko competed in the 78 kg and over weight class. She lost the gold to France’s Romane Dicko, with whom she shook hands and embraced after the match.

Speaking to media after the competition, Hershko said she was “very happy” to stand on the podium, but also expressed regret at falling short of gold.

“I feel that I’m improving, and I went up to the final match with the feeling that I need to win the gold, and it’s disappointing that it didn’t happen,” she said. “On the other hand, I’m also happy about the prestigious silver medal and sure that this loss will give me a lot of motivation to work harder.”

Hershko’s coach and uncle, Shani Hershko, noted that it was Raz’s first time participating in the European championships, and that the bronze marked her seventh medal in a row.

On Friday, Israel’s Timna Nelson-Levy won a gold medal in the competition’s under 57 kg weight division, defeating Sara-Leonie Cysique of France. She became the first Israeli female judoka to win a gold medal in the European championships in 29 years.

The Israeli women’s team also collected two bronze medals during the championships, won by Shira Rishony in the under 48 kg weight class and Gili Sharir in the under 63 kg division.