Inbar Lanir

Inbar Lanir (ענבר לניר; born 3 April 2000) is an Israeli Olympic judoka and 2023 world champion. She competes in the under 78 kg weight category. In addition to winning the 2023 world championship, she won gold medals at the 2023 World Masters and 2023 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam. Lanir will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in judo in the women's 78 kg on 1 August 2024, and in the mixed team event.

Early life
Lanir was born in Yokneam Illit in northern Israel and later moved with her family to Yehud, Israel, and is Jewish. Her mother Michal is an architect and former judoka, while her father Ronen is a project manager. In her early years, Lanir practiced ballet and acrobatics alongside her judo training. She feels that ballet helped her in judo, as it trained her in movement. Lanir received the status of outstanding athlete from the Israeli Defense Forces, served as a triathlete, and at 18 years of age moved to the Wingate Institute.

2016–18; Israeli U21 Champion
She won the silver medal in the 2016 European Cup Cadets in Antalya, Turkey, and a bronze medal in 2016 European Cup Cadets in Zagreb, Croatia. She won the gold medal in the 2016 Israeli U21 Championships in Ra'anana.

She won bronze medals in the 2017 European Cup U21 in Athens, Greece, and in the 2017 European Cup Cadets in Ploiesti, Romania. She won the silver medal in the 2017 Israeli Championship in Ra'anana.

She won the silver medal in the 2018 Israeli Championship in Tel Aviv.

2019–21; European U23 Champion
She won bronze medals in the 2019 European U21 Championships in Vantaa, Finland, and the 2019 European U23 Championships in Izhevsk, Russia. She won the gold medal in the 2019 Israeli Championship in Tel Aviv.

Lanir won the 2020 European U23 Championships in Poreč, Croatia, and won the bronze medal in the 2020 European Junior Judo Championships, in Poreč. She won the gold medal in the 2020 Israeli U21 Championships in Ra'anana.

In the 2021 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Lanir placed 7th after winning her first two matches, losing in the quarterfinal and the repechage. That same year Lanir won a silver medal at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Baku, and bronze medals in the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Paris, the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Abu Dhabi, the 2021 Tashkent Grand Slam, and the 2021 Tbilisi Grand Slam. She won the gold medal in the 2021 Israeli Championship in Ra'annana.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021); bronze medal
Lanir represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics, competing at the women's 78 kg weight category. In her first match, she beat Mongolian Otgony Mönkhtsetseg with an 18 seconds ippon. In the round of 16, she lost to the Brazilian former two-time world champion, Mayra Aguiar, ending her part in the individual competition. She won a bronze medal in the Olympic Games Tokyo Mixed Team.

2022–present; World Champion
In 2022, Lanir won silver medals at each of the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam in Mongolia,  Budapest Grand Slam,   and Zagreb Grand Prix. She also won a bronze medal in her event at the Almada Grand Prix in Portugal.

She won the 2023 World Championship in Doha, Qatar. She said: "I am happy to dedicate the medal to the residents of the south, who are going through a difficult time, to the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and to the entire State of Israel. It was so important for me to do something good in such complex and difficult days."

She also won the 2023 World Masters in Budapest, and the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar. Following that, Lanir was chosen by the European Judo Union as that year's European Athlete of the Year. She won a bronze medal at the 2023 European Judo Championships in Montpellier, France, a silver medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Tokyo, and a bronze medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Slam Tbilisi. She won the gold medal in the 2023 Israeli Championship.

She won a bronze medal at the 2024 European Judo Championships in Zagreb.

2024 Paris Olympics
Lanir will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in judo in the women's 78 kg on 1 August 2024, and in the mixed team event.

Titles
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