Ehud Vaks

Ehud Vaks
Personal information
Native name	אהוד וקס‎
Nickname	Udi
Born	27 June 1979 (age 45)
Occupation	Judoka
Sport
Country	Israel
Sport	Judo
Weight class	‍–‍60 kg
Achievements and titles
Olympic Games	R16 (2004)
World Champ.	R32 (1999, 2003)
European Champ.	5th (2003)
Medal record
Men's judo
Representing Israel
World Juniors Championships
Profile at external databases
IJF	52800
JudoInside.com	413
	Updated on 1 February 2022

Ehud "Udi" Vaks (Hebrew: אהוד "אודי" וקס; born 27 June 1979) is an Israeli judoka.

Vaks won a bronze medal at the 1998 World Judo Juniors Championships in the under 60 kg weight class.^[1]

2004 Olympics

In the 2004 Summer Olympics, competing in the half lightweight 66 kg weight class, Vaks was scheduled to fight Iranian competitor Arash Miresmaeili in the first round. Miresmaeili was disqualified from the competition because he was above the allowable weight limit for his class.^[2]

It is widely believed that Miresmaili deliberately set out to be disqualified for political reasons, which is supported by his own comments: “Although I have trained for months and was in good shape I refused to fight my Israeli opponent to sympathise with the suffering of the people of Palestine and I do not feel upset at all."^[2]^[3]^[4]

Comments from Iranian officials also supported this view. The Iranian state news agency quoted Iranian President Mohammad Khatami as saying that Miresmaeili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories," and that the nation considered him to be "the champion of the 2004 Olympic Games."^[5]

Iranian Olympic team chairman Nassrollah Sajadi told the Sharq newspaper that the government should give the athlete a $115,000 bonus for his actions, the same amount it gave to gold medalists.^[6]

Miresmaeili's disqualification resulted in Vaks being awarded a bye into the 2nd round. He was defeated by Algerian judoka Amar Meridja.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "1998 World Junior Championship U20 Cali". JudoInside.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
^ ^a ^b Kaufman, Michelle (16 August 2004). "Politics, Not Sport, Come First for Iranian Athlete". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
^ Black Belt. December 2004. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
^ "Iran refuses judo bout against Israel". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 August 2004. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
^ David Matas (2005). Aftershock: anti-zionism and anti-semitism. Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN 1-55002-553-8. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
^ Whitlock, Craig (17 August 2004). "Judoka Praised by Iranian Government". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 May 2009.