Yarden Gerbi

Yarden Gerbi (or Jerbi, ירדן ג'רבי; born 8 July 1989) is an Israeli former judoka world champion. She won an Olympic bronze medal competing for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in women's 63 kg judo.

Gerbi won the gold medal at the 2013 World Judo Championships in the 63 kg category. She won the Israeli championship five times by the age of 24, and was a silver medalist in the 2009 Maccabiah Games.

Personal life
Gerbi was born in Kfar Saba, Israel, to a family of Tunisian Jewish descent from Djerba. She was raised and also currently resides in Netanya, Israel. Her nicknames are Jordan, Gerb, and Denush. She attended the Open University of Israel, studying Economics and Management.

On 27 September 2022, Gerbi came out as gay and revealed her then-ongoing relationship with photographer Dana Lavi, daughter of Israeli actor Amos Lavi. They split up the following year.

In the summer of 2023 Gerbi began a relationship with Adi Imbar. The couple announced their engagement in April 2024.

Early career
Gerbi, who began practicing judo at age 6, trains with club Meditav Netanya. Shany Hershko, former coach of the Israeli women's national judo team, has been her trainer since childhood.

In 2007, Gerbi won the Israel Championships.

In 2008, Gerbi won the Israel Championships, the Under-23 Israel Championships, and took third in the European Junior Championships.

In 2009, Gerbi won the Israel Championships and the Belo Horizonte World Cup, placed second in the 2009 Maccabiah Games and took third place in the Qingdao Grand Prix.

Gerbi came in second in the 2010 Qingdao Grand Prix. That year she also finished second in the Baku and Birmingham World Cups, third in the Warsaw World Cup and came in 7th place at the 2010 World Championships. In 2011, she won the Israeli Championships, came in second in the San Salvador and Miami World Cups, third in the 2011 Moscow Grand Slam and the 2011 World Masters in Baku, and fifth in the 2011 European Championships. Gerbi was eliminated in the third round of the 2011 World Championships and did not qualify to represent Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In 2012, Gerbi won the Tashkent World Cup and the Israel Championships, took second in the 2012 European Championships in Russia, and took third in the 2012 Düsseldorf Grand Prix.

In 2013, prior to the World Championships, Gerbi won the 2013 Baku Grand Slam and the 2013 Moscow Grand Slam, took second in the 2013 Samsun Grand Prix, third in the 2013 Düsseldorf Grand Prix and at the 2013 European Championships. She achieved a world ranking of No. 1 in May 2013.

2013 World Champion
In August 2013, at the age of 24, she won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro in the category 63 kg, defeating each of her five opponents unconditionally. She defeated No. 2-ranked Clarisse Agbegnenou of France, the European champion, in the final by dislocating her shoulder and rendering her unconscious with a chokehold in 43 seconds. She recorded an ippon in each of her five fights on the way to the championship. Commenting on the reaction from Israelis to her championship, she said: "I received three marriage proposals."

Gerbi became the first Israeli to win a gold medal at the Judo World Championships. Israelis Yael Arad (1991 – bronze, 1993 – silver), Oren Smadja (1995 – silver), and Ariel Ze'evi (2001 – silver) had each previously won a silver medal in the championships, and Alice Schlesinger had most recently won a bronze medal in 2009; also Olympic medals, which is Gerbi's next goal, have been won by Arad (Barcelona 1992 – silver), Smadja (Barcelona 1992 – bronze), and Ze'evi (Athens 2004 – bronze).

Gerbi was voted Israeli Sports Personality of the Year in 2013 by the readers of The Jerusalem Post.

2014–15
At the 2014 World Championships in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, Gerbi won the silver medal after losing by an ippon to Frenchwoman Clarice Agbegnenou in the final of the 63 kg category.

In December 2014, Gerbi was named Israeli Sportswoman of the Year.

In 2015, Gerbi won a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games.

On 17 October, Gerbi won a bronze medal in the 2015 Paris Grand Slam after defeating Miho Minei from Japan. Two weeks later on 31 October 2015, she won bronze again, this time in the 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, after defeating Juul Franssen from the Netherlands.

Rio Olympics and retirement
On 9 August 2016, Gerbi won a bronze medal for her native Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (shared with Anicka van Emden). Prior to her win, she was ranked among the top 14 eligible female judokas in her category as of 30 May 2016. After losing to hometown Brazilian Mariana Silva in the quarter-finals, Gerbi won her next two repechage fights to win the bronze medal.

Gerbi took part in the torch lighting ceremony at the 2017 Maccabiah Games on 6 July 2017. On 2 October of that year, Gerbi announced her retirement from judo.

Medals
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