Inbar Lanir Dedicates Medal Win to Hamas Victim Itzik Elgarat

Inbar Lanir won a bronze medal at the 2025 Tashkent Grand Slam, dedicating it to Itzik Elgarat, a Hamas hostage murdered in captivity. Elgarat, abducted and shot on October 7, 2023, was returned to Israel for burial after a hostage exchange. Israeli women’s judo team earned a total of three medals at the event.

Israeli judoka Inbar Lanir dedicated her bronze medal victory at an international judo event in Uzbekistan to the family of Itzik Elgarat, a victim of Hamas captivity. This dedication followed her win in the -78 kg category against Brazilian judoka Karol Gimenes at the 2025 Tashkent Grand Slam event. “I fought today to fly the flag in his memory,” expressed the 24-year-old athlete, who previously secured a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

Itzik Elgarat, a dual Danish-Israeli citizen, was abducted by Hamas from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz shortly after the outbreak of violence on October 7, 2023. At the age of 68, he was shot by terrorists before being taken hostage. On that fateful day, Hamas captured 251 individuals and caused the deaths of 1,200 others in southern Israel.

Elgarat’s body, along with three other hostages, was returned to Israel on February 27 as part of a political exchange involving 602 Palestinian prisoners amidst a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Forensic reports confirmed that Elgarat had been murdered while in captivity, and he was interred in Israel on the following Monday. He is survived by two children residing in Denmark, as well as a brother and two sisters, one of whom, Rachel Dancyg, also survived the massacre.

At the same 2025 Tashkent Grand Slam event, Israeli judoka Raz Hershko finished in fifth place in the +78 kg category. Overall, the Israeli women’s judo team concluded the competition with a total of three medals: a silver for Inbal Shemesh and bronzes for Timna Nelson Levy and Lanir, solidifying their success on the international stage.

Inbar Lanir’s dedication of her bronze medal to Itzik Elgarat highlights the intersection of sports and personal tragedy in the context of current events. As she represents a grieving community, her victory serves both as a personal achievement and as a tribute to the lives affected by violence. The success of the Israeli women’s judo team at the Tashkent Grand Slam further emphasizes their resilience and talent in competitive settings.

Original Source: www.algemeiner.com