Sportsאור ששון

Or Sasson

Or Sasson is a retired Israeli judoka who won Olympic bronze medals in 2016 and 2020.

born 1990Bronze medal at Rio 2016Mixed team bronze at Tokyo 2020European Championship silver medals

Born: 18 August 1990, Jerusalem
Occupation: judoka
Education: Ruppin Academic Center

Or Sasson was born in 1990 in Jerusalem

Or Sasson was born in Jerusalem in 1990 to a family of Kurdish Jewish descent. His parents are Varda and Haim Sasson. He began judo at age 8, following his older brother Alon, who also became a judoka.

He served in the IDF under the athlete track and was posted at the Kirya. He later studied business administration at Ruppin Academic Center.

Sasson won his first Israeli championship in 2007 and took gold at the 2009 Maccabiah. He moved up to the +100 kg category in 2014. He won silver at the European Championships in 2015 and 2016.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics he won bronze at +100 kg. His first round opponent, Islam El Shehaby of Egypt, refused to shake his hand. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics he won a second bronze with Israel's mixed team.

In 2020 he took part in Israel's version of The Masked Singer and finished third. In 2024 he competed on Dancing with the Stars. He lives in Netanya.