Arik Zeevi

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Arik Zeevi is an Israeli judoka. Competing in the 100 kg. category, he won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the silver medal at the 2001 World Championship (open category), and is a four-time European Champion, 2001,2003,2004,2012

He was raised and educated in Kiryat Herzog, a neighborhood in Bnei Brak. As a child, Arik attended Uziel, a public-religious elementary school, and then Remez High School, both in Bnei Brak.

Following the footsteps of his older brother, Roni, the first Judoka from the Hapoel Bnei Brak judo club to win the national championship, Arik joined the club as a child too. 

With the guidance of his coach, Ramaz Mamistblov, he began practicing judo at the age of 7.

When he was 15, Arik became the youngest Judoka to win the national championship for adults. This achievement is even more impressive considering he grew up in a low-income neighborhood and trained at the local youth shelter. Despite the lack of professional training facilities, he made his way to the top and maintained the status of the leading Israeli Judoka for years to come.

At the Sydney Olympics, 2000, Arik came in fifth place, forfeiting the bronze medal to the competition from France, Stephane Trenu, following a controversial decision by the referee.

In Athens, at the 2004 Olympics, Arik won the bronze medal after defeating Dutch judoka, Elco van der Gest. At the end of a challenging day of competition, he heard the Israeli anthem playing above the cheering crowd of over 2000 Israelis attending the games.

At the Beijing Olympics, 2008, Arik was among the most promising judo players, but was defeated in the second round by European Champion, Dutch Henk Hrol, and lost in the consolation round to Brazilian World Champion, Correa Lucian.  Thus, he was no longer a contender in the games. Subsequent changes in his course included replacing his personal trainer and beginning to work with Shani Hershko.

In 2011, Zeevi won the gold medal in the prestigious Grand Slam in Moscow, proving he still had what it takes to win top tournaments. In 2012, in Putin's hometown in Russia, Arik won his fourth European Championship title at the age of 35.5 - the oldest judoka ever to win the title.

In August of the same year, at the London Olympics, 2012, ranking seventh in the world, Zeevi lost in 43 seconds, in the first round, to the German competition, Dimitri Peters.

A few months after the London Olympics, Zeevi announced his retirement. He proceeded to found an association, true to his personal vision, to foster and support Olympic athletes and their coaches.