TEL AVIV (JTA) — Israeli judoka Arik Zeevi, who predicted he would win a medal at the London Olympics, lost his opening match and his shot at a medal.
Dmitri Peters of Germany put Zeevi in a headlock in their 100 kg. match on Thursday, forcing the 35-year-old Israeli to tap out after 43 seconds, the Times of Israel reported
“I made a mistake and paid the price,” Zeevi told Israel’s Army Radio, according to the Times of Israel. He reportedly had tears in his eyes as he left the mat.
Zeevi, a bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Games, had made his prediction after faltering in Beijing in 2008. He had told JTA in advance of the Games that he expected this to be his final Olympics.
Female judoka Alice Schlessinger, another Israeli medal hope, was eliminated on Tuesday.
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