Gili Cohen (Judoka)

Cohen was born on January 18, 1991.[1] By the time she retired in 2021, she had completed a bachelor's degree in humanities and social sciences and was pursuing a master's degree in science, technology and society at Bar-Ilan University.[2]

Cohen began making her mark on the international judo circuit in 2013. At the Grand Slam tournament in Moscow that year, she and compatriot Roni Schwartz each won bronze medals in the under-52-kilogram category.[5] The following year, 2014, proved even more productive: she claimed bronze at the European Judo Championships in Montpellier in April, defeating Russia's Yulia Rizova on the opening day of competition.[6] That same year she added a Grand Prix gold medal and four Grand Prix bronze medals, establishing herself as one of Israel's leading judoka in her weight class.[7]

Ahead of Rio, Cohen won the under-52-kilogram title at the Grand Slam in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May 2016, while pre-Games profiles described multiple Grand Prix podium finishes and a rise into the world's top ten.[1][8] Those results made her one of Israel's medal contenders at her first Olympic Games.[8]

Cohen received a bye into the round of 16 at the Rio Games.[8] In that bout she faced Christianne Legentil of Mauritius. After holding a strong position for much of the match, she conceded a yuko approximately 30 seconds before the end and was eliminated without scoring a point.[9][10] In comments after the loss, she said she was disappointed, could not identify the specific moment that decided the match, and hoped the other Israeli women would fare better.[10]

A notable incident preceded Cohen's bout. Saudi judoka Joud Fahmy forfeited her first-round match against Legentil—the winner of which would face Cohen—raising questions about her motive. Hebrew-language media described the withdrawal as an attempt to avoid a subsequent match with the Israeli athlete, while Saudi officials said Fahmy had a training injury; Israel's Channel 2 reported that she was not hurt and had withdrawn specifically to avoid the Israeli opponent.[10]

Cohen continued to compete at a high level after Rio. At the 2017 Antalya Grand Prix, she defeated opponents from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan before losing the final to Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo, taking silver.[11]

At the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, Cohen won bronze in the under-52-kilogram division, but Israeli athletes were barred from wearing Israeli symbols throughout the tournament and competed under the International Judo Federation flag. When Cohen received her medal, the tournament did not fly Israel's flag—a policy that applied solely to Israeli competitors.[3] The following year, circumstances had changed markedly: at the October 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, Cohen again won bronze, and this time she and fellow Israeli medalists competed under Israel's national flag for the first time at that event.[12]

Cohen's path to the Tokyo Games—held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic—was arduous. She sustained two knee-ligament injuries, underwent lengthy rehabilitation, and initially lost her qualification place in competition with younger judoka Gefen Primo. After the Olympics were postponed, the qualification process reopened, and Cohen secured her spot at the last moment by winning a medal at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam in February 2021, where she reached the final of the under-52-kilogram event and took silver, losing to Britain's Chelsie Giles.[13][2]

At Tokyo, competing in her second Olympics, Cohen defeated Turkmenistan's Gulbadam Babamuratova in the round of 32 before losing by ippon to Belgium's Charline van Snick in the round of 16, ending her individual medal chances.[14] After the bout she said: "I felt good, but I made a mistake. She's good on the ground and that's how it is in judo. My hand hurts, but my heart hurts more."[14]

Israel won bronze in the mixed-team judo event at Tokyo, but Cohen was not registered for the team competition and did not receive a medal. Cohen said the team could register only two athletes in the relevant weight category and that, after consulting the medical team, it registered Shira Rishoni instead because Rishoni was fitter to compete at the time.[2] The Israeli delegation appealed the decision not to award Cohen a medal, noting that three other team members who had not competed that day but were registered received medals; the appeal was rejected.[4] Cohen watched the ceremony from the stands.

Later in 2021, Cohen announced her retirement from competitive judo. She said the final two years had been physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting, and that while judo would remain part of her life and identity, she did not see herself continuing in the sport.[2]

Cohen finished her competitive career with a European Championship bronze medal from 2014, seven medals at Grand Slam events, and fourteen medals at Grand Prix events.[2] She represented Israel at two Olympic Games—Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020—and competed in the women's 52-kilogram category at both.[2]

Two notable controversies surrounded Cohen's career. The first concerns the 2016 Rio Olympics, where competing accounts exist over why Saudi judoka Joud Fahmy forfeited a first-round match in Cohen's bracket. Saudi officials cited a training injury; Israeli media reported that the withdrawal was motivated by a desire to avoid meeting the Israeli.[10] No definitive account has been established.

The second concerns the Tokyo 2020 mixed-team event. Cohen was one of twelve members of Israel's judo squad at Tokyo but was not registered for the team's bronze-medal competition. When Israel's delegation appealed for her to receive a medal—on the basis that other registered but non-competing team members received medals—the appeal was rejected.[4]