Golan Pollack

Born on September 10, 1991, Pollack emerged on the international stage in 2011 when he won gold at the World Cup in Tallinn, Estonia.[1][7] Later that year, he was selected for Israel's delegation to the 2011 World Judo Championships, his first competition at that level.[7]

At the World Championships, Pollack received a bye in the first round before facing Spain's Sugoi Uriarte, described as a former World Championship runner-up and the world's fifth-ranked judoka at the time.[8] Despite entering primarily to gain experience, Pollack defeated Uriarte by waza-ari. He ultimately lost in the third round by pin to the reigning European champion from Hungary.[8]

Pollack competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the men's 66-kilogram judo event, part of an Israeli delegation of 37 athletes across eight sports.[2] He was eliminated in the first round and no Israeli athlete won a medal at those Games.[2][9] The London experience, however, left him as the only judoka in Israel's 2016 Rio delegation with prior Olympic experience.[9]

Pollack's most significant competitive achievement came at the 2015 World Judo Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he won a bronze medal in the up-to-66-kilogram category.[4] The result was described as unexpected.[1] In the decisive bout, he trailed for most of the contest before a late throw with five seconds remaining earned him a yuko against Mongolia's Tumurkhuleg Davaadorj, securing the medal.[4]

The bronze made Pollack the sixth Israeli to win a World Championship medal.[1] In the months that followed, he added medals at Grand Prix competitions and at the Masters tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, which lifted him into the world's top eight and was expected to earn him a favorable draw heading into the 2016 Rio Olympics.[1] Caesarstone, the Israeli company, subsequently sponsored Pollack, with chief executive Yossi Shiran announcing a two-year monthly growth scholarship to support his preparation for Rio.[10]

Pollack was one of 48 qualifying Israeli athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympics — Israel's largest delegation at the time — and competed in the men's 66-kilogram event on August 7.[3][1] One year before the Games, Pollack and Baruch Shmailov had been competing for Israel's potential place in the division; men's qualification required a top-22 world ranking.[11] Entering the Olympic tournament ranked seventh in the world, Pollack was regarded as a serious medal contender.[12]

His campaign ended abruptly in the first round, when he was defeated by Mathews Punza of Zambia, ranked 118th in the world.[12] Punza secured victory by holding Pollack on the ground for 20 seconds, which automatically ended the bout.[12] Pollack was one of four Israeli athletes eliminated from the Games that day, alongside fellow judoka Gili Cohen.[13]

In the aftermath, Pollack reflected on the match with characteristic composure: "I just prepare myself for whatever might happen."[12] He noted that he would have preferred to throw his opponent but that doing so depended on the opponent's style.[12]

Before the Games, Pollack had been placed in the Olympic Committee of Israel's gold squad — a group of five elite athletes that also included judokas Yarden Gerbi and Sagi Muki, triple jumper Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko, and windsurfer Ma'ayan Davidovich. Members of the squad received NIS 8,500 per month.[14]

Pollack was absent from the 2017 European Judo Championships in Warsaw alongside prominent teammates Sagi Muki, Yarden Gerbi, and Ori Sasson; Israel's delegation finished the championships without a medal.[15]

By 2021, Pollack had retired from competition and was coaching Israel's cadet national judo team. He emphasized the importance of mental preparation alongside technical ability, noting that Israeli athletes worked closely with a psychologist, physiotherapist, and fitness trainer.[5] Reflecting on his own career, Pollack described his World Championship medal as his most significant achievement, and he drew a distinction between the Olympics — a single opportunity requiring peak performance on one day — and the World Championships, which offer another chance the following year.[5]

In November 2024, Pollack was identified as a former Olympic athlete who had been coaching Israel's junior national team. He had helped prepare judokas Yam Wolczak and Peter Paltchik for the Paris Olympics and was expected to move into a role as an assistant coach on Israel's men's senior national team.[6]