Paris 2024 Olympics – Judo – Men -100 kg Victory Ceremony – Champ-de-Mars Arena, Paris, France – August 01, 2024. Bronze medallist Peter Paltchik of Israel celebrates on the podium. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Ukrainian-born Israeli judoka and Olympic medalist Peter Paltchik announced his retirement in an online video and emotional press conference on Monday.

Paltchik, 33, shared a video on social media of him sitting across from his head coach, Oren Smadga, as he announced the shocking news. The Rishon LeZion native said in the clip he has no regrets about his career and reflected on his journey as an athlete. He also teared up while thanking Smadga for his support over the years and talked about their close connection at the press conference on Monday.

“Today I am closing a circle of a small boy from Rishon LeZion, who against all odds reached the biggest podium in the world,” Paltchik said.

Paltchik is Israel’s most decorated judoka, winning bronze medals at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 and Paris in 2024. He also took home a bronze medal in the International Judo Federation’s 2021 World Judo Masters and won gold in the European Judo Championships’ under-100 kg division in Prague in November 2020. He additionally has gold medals from the 2020 Paris Grand Slam, 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, 2020 European Judo Championships, and four Grand Prix tournaments.

After Monday’s announcement, the Olympic Committee of Israel praised Paltchik and wished him good luck in all his future endeavors. “Peter proved that a long path of work, discipline, faith, and personal depth can turn a dream into reality,” the committee said in a released statement. “He set an example for an entire generation of athletes and provided moments that will not be forgotten. Peter, thank you for the way, for the heart, for the values, and for the energy you brought to every scene.”

In September 2024, Paltchik launched the Paltchik Foundation to support rising young athletes. He committed 3 percent of his business revenues to the foundation, which has all volunteer staff members to ensure that every donation goes directly to helping athletes in need. Paltchik is currently pursing a bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing communications. On Monday, he also shared photos of a new campaign he stars in for Adidas Israel.

In May, Smadga resigned as the head coach of Israel’s national judo team. A former judoka himself, Smadga was the first Israeli man to win an Olympic medal when he won bronze at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and he has served as the coach of the men’s team since 2010. Smadga’s 25-year-old son was killed in combat in June 2024 while fighting with the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war.