When Maya Goshen got on the bus that would take her back from the judo hall in Tashkent to the hotel, and opened the phone for the first time, the messages did not stop flowing.
An hour earlier, she had signed one of the greatest achievements of Israeli judo, with the first ever blue-white bronze medal in the team competition at the World Championships.
And if that wasn't enough, we also got from Goshen one of the most exciting moments in the championship when at the end of her decisive fight, which secured the medal for the team, she helped her Dutch opponent Sana Vermeer, who was injured in the knee, to get off the mat and receive treatment instead of celebrating with her friends - a humane and emotional moment that won quite a few applauses.
"It will take me time to digest what happened," says Goshen in a special interview with Israel Hayom.
"She was injured and I didn't know if she would continue or not, and as soon as she said no - I knew we did it. It was a crazy and fun feeling, I just tried to enjoy that moment and it was abnormal."
Goshen
"I tried to enjoy every moment,"
You brought up the crucial point.
"We did it together. It's true that I was the last and decisive fight, but it was a team effort, and I'm really happy that it ended like this and dedicate the medal to my parents, who are my back and always support me."
How did you get out of a difficult week without individual medals?
"For me, I felt that I missed myself a little, and that things could have ended differently and they didn't happen as I expected. This was my first world championship. I felt great during the preparations, with three weeks of training camp where I felt that everything was working as it should. I also really enjoyed standing on the mat on stage every That's great. The team gave everything on the last day, everything that was left, and we did our best."
This is the second time in a row after Tokyo that they get a medal in the team competition. What makes the team so special?
"It seems to me that we are very cohesive, even though we don't train together. It's true, there is a women's team separate from the men's team, but everyone pushes the other, everyone supported and lifted each other, whether they won or lost. Everyone came to do this for the team."
"Things are getting better and better", photo: Oren Aharoni
From the gymnastics beam to the judo mat
The road to Goshen's (22) moments of glory was full of bumps.
As a child she almost missed out on judo, after all she started in a floor gymnastics class in the Zoran settlement, but at the age of 7 she convinced her father to move to the nearby hall, which she thought was much cooler.
It was there that Goshen first met the sport, when she came to train at the "Israeli Judo Center" under the guidance of the Olympic bronze medalist from Barcelona 1992 Oren Samadja, who currently serves as the men's national coach - and was immediately drawn to the throws, conditioning and grueling training.
The success was dizzying.
She started picking medals in the national competitions, but at the age of 14 everything stopped due to moving to Singapore for two years due to her father's work.
Although she trained at a local club and traveled to Japan for training as well, it was not the same.
When she returned, Goshen joined the youth teams, and brought receipts.
The peak was in November 2020, when she won the silver medal at the European Under-23 Championship, but then she injured her shoulder and underwent surgery and an eight-month rehabilitation procedure.
It was only at the beginning of this year that Goshen returned to the round competitions, but this time it was the baptism of fire for the graduates.
The beginning was not easy, but the coach of the women's team, Shani Hershko, continued to believe in her.
Last June, she participated in Grand Slams in Mongolia and Hungary, where she was stopped in the battle for the bronze medal and finished fifth.
Goshen
Hard year, photo: Oren Aharoni
"The last year was crazy for me," says Goshen.
"All of 2021 I didn't compete at all, and this year didn't start well either after the first two competitions I lost in the first fight and also in the European Championship. But then the Olympic criterion competitions started and things started to move in a better way. I felt that things started to connect for me and improve."
What is this due to?
"I needed time to myself to get back to being competitive. Training is never the same as competition, and I also went straight back to seniors. But I think things are getting better and better, and I hope to show it in the next competitions - Grand Slam Abu Dhabi and Baku, and then in the Masters in Jerusalem, which is going to be crazy. I need to make amends for the Tel Aviv Grand Slam."
How did you overcome the difficulties?
"I have a great team around me that surrounds me every day, all day, in the team and in the club. When I'm down and hard, I'm never alone. I have a good connection with Shani (Hershko - AA), who really supported and believed in me.
Even when things didn't go at all the way I wanted and expected - he was always there to pick me up and give me confidence that everything is possible."
Are there already thoughts about the Olympics in Paris?
"There is always, but the road is still long. It's a race that doesn't end until the Olympic Games. I hope that things will continue to move in a positive way and that I will achieve the criterion. There are still many goals on the way, and I want to continue to improve, express myself 100 percent and realize all my potential."
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