Judoka Zeevi hopes for final fling in London

NETANYA, Israel - Israeli judoka Ariel 'Arik' Zeevi plans to make the most of his final fling at the Olympics when he steps onto the mat at the London Games.

Zeevi was written off after flopping badly at the Beijing Games, but after an unexpected victory at the judo European championships in Russia in April the 35-year-old is once again among Israel's best hopes for an Olympic medal.

While there has been success for Israeli athletes on the water, sports commentators have dubbed Zeevi Israel's best male Olympian on land.

With a bronze medal from the 2004 Athens Games to go with his four European titles in the under 100kg category, Zeevi knows that his last chance to add to his medal haul will be at his fourth and final Olympics in London.

Veteran Israeli judoka Ariel 'Arik' Zeevi spars during a training session in the city of Netanya May 14, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

"I am No 7 in the world, so there are six who are more favoured than me to win a medal in London," Zeevi said.

"Before Athens I was one of the favourites ... so at that time I was under a lot of pressure. This time it will be easier for me to deal with the pressure."

Alongside windsurfing, Judo is Israel's most successful Olympic sport. Yael Arad was the Jewish state's first medalist when she won silver in Barcelona in 1992, and Oren Smadja took bronze that same year.

The powerfully-built Zeevi is an intimidating presence on the mat, but off it he is a soft-spoken, friendly, intelligent family man. His priorities have clearly changed.

"I'm Arik Zeevi, I'm 35-years-old, I have two children, Noam and Amit and I'm married to Ravit, and I have been doing judo since I was seven years old," he said as he introduced himself.

The disappointment of Beijing prompted the media to say Zeevi was ready for the scrap heap but even if he fails in London he knows he has a life outside of judo.

"I was downcast and disappointed and everybody talked about my failure," he said. "But I think this time if I will fail it will be totally different.

"I am prepared for it, I have my two children and for me they are the most important thing in the world, so everything is put in proportion."