Ariel Ze'evi

Ariel Ze'evi was born in 1977 in Bnei Brak

Ze'evi was born on 16 January 1977 in Bnei Brak and grew up in the city's Kiryat Herzog neighborhood, the son of William and Sigalit Ze'evi. He started judo at age 7 at the Hapoel Bnei Brak club. He followed his older brother Roni, the club's first Israeli champion, and often trained in a neighborhood bomb shelter.

In 1992, at age 15, he won the Israeli adult championship and became the youngest to do so. He won a bronze medal at the European under 21 championship in Lisbon in 1994, and later won gold at the same event in Valladolid.

He placed fifth at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after a disputed referee decision in the bronze medal match. In 2001 he won silver in the open category at the World Championships in Munich. He won European titles in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and an Olympic bronze in Athens in 2004.

A shoulder injury kept him out of the 2005 World Championships, and he had surgery. He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics without a medal and won a fourth European title in Chelyabinsk in 2012. He earned a law degree from Reichman University, hosted a sports show for the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, and founded the Israeli Foundation for Olympic Excellence.