View source for Ehud Vaks

{{Short description|Israeli judoka (born 1979)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Redirect|Vaks|the airport in India with the ICAO code VAKS|Keshod Airport|the Finnish truck|Vanaja VAKS|not to be confused with|Vax (disambiguation){{!}}Vax|the singular|Vak (disambiguation){{!}}Vak}}
{{Infobox judoka
| nickname       = Udi
| native_name  = {{Script/Hebrew|אהוד וקס}}
<!-- Sport -->
| country        = [[Israel]]
| weight_class   = {{nbnd}}60&nbsp;kg, {{nbnd}}66&nbsp;kg
| rank           = <!-- Belt color ONLY. Automated when "dan" is used. -->
| rank_ref       = 
| dan            = <!-- Dan rank (number, 1-11), for Black belts only -->
<!-- Achievements and titles -->
| olympics_rank     = R16
| olympics_year     = 2004
| olympics_weight   = Men's 66 kg
| worlds_rank       = R32
| worlds_year       = 1999
| worlds_weight     = Men's 60 kg
| worlds_year2      = 2003
| worlds_weight2    = Men's 66 kg
| regionals_type    = EU
| regionals_rank    = 5
| regionals_year    = 2003
| regionals_weight  = Men's 66 kg
| nationals         = 
<!-- Medal record -->
| show-medals       = 
| medaltemplates    =
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[judo]] }}
{{Medal|Country | {{ISR}} }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[World Judo Juniors Championships|World Juniors Championships]] }}
{{Medal|B| [[1998 World Judo Juniors Championships|1998&nbsp;Cali]] | {{nbnd}}60&nbsp;kg }}
| updated = 1 February 2022
}}

'''Ehud "Udi" Vaks''' ({{langx|he|אהוד "אודי" וקס}}; born 27 June 1979) is an Israeli [[judoka]].

Vaks won a bronze medal at the [[1998 World Judo Juniors Championships|1998 World Juniors Championships]] in the under 60&nbsp;kg weight class.<ref>{{cite web |title=1998 World Junior Championship U20 Cali |url=https://www.judoinside.com/event/1050 |website=JudoInside.com |access-date=1 June 2021}}</ref>

==2004 Olympics==
In the [[Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Summer Olympics]], competing in the [[Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 66 kg|half lightweight (66&nbsp;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.<ref name="post" />

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 [[Palestinians|people of Palestine]] and I do not feel upset at all."''<ref name="post">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2137-2004Aug15.html|title=Politics, Not Sport, Come First for Iranian Athlete|last=Kaufman|first=Michelle|date=August 16, 2004|work=The Washington Post|access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fNsDAAAAMBAJ&q=vaks+olympics+judo&pg=PA144 |title=Black Belt |date=December 2004 |access-date=January 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/olympics/articles/2004/08/16/1092508362704.html |title=Iran refuses judo bout against Israel |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |date= August 17, 2004|access-date=January 7, 2011}}</ref>

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."''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DYR7SqcMe9gC&q=vaks+olympics+judo&pg=PA156 |title=Aftershock: anti-zionism and anti-semitism |publisher= Dundurn Press Ltd. |author=David Matas|isbn=1-55002-553-8 |year=2005 |access-date=January 7, 2011}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6582-2004Aug16.html|title=Judoka Praised by Iranian Government|last=Whitlock|first=Craig|date=August 17, 2004|work=The Washington Post|access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref>

Miresmaeili's disqualification resulted in Vaks being awarded a bye into the 2nd round, where he was defeated by Algerian judoka [[Amar Meridja]].{{cn|date=July 2022}}

==See also==
* [[List of Jews in sports#Judo|List of select Jewish judokas]]
* [[List of Israelis]]
* [[Arash Miresmaeili#Athens Olympic Games; controversy|Arash Miresmaeili § Athens Olympic Games; controversy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Sports links}}
* {{Sports reference}}
* {{The-Sports}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaks, Ehud}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Israeli male judoka]]
[[Category:Olympic judoka for Israel]]
[[Category:Judoka at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Israeli Ashkenazi Jews]]


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