Baruch Shmailov to Recover from Meniscus Surgery

Baruch Shmailov, last year's IJF Masters winner from Israel, underwent meniscus surgery on Thursday. Shmailov took to social media to mention his unavoidable situation. Recently, he participated in the Judo World Championships in Doha but was eliminated in the first round. Throughout his career, he has won 15 World Cup medals, all on the IJF World Tour, and has achieved success in all medal categories at the Masters. Unfortunately, he will miss this year's Masters competition.

The valuable points at stake will require the world's fifth-ranked judoka to focus on qualifying for Paris, as his Israeli counterpart, Tal Flicker, currently ranks 19th. Shmailov is in the world top 10 since 2017. His highest position was third in 2019, 2022 and even this year April.

Shmailov expressed his thoughts on the timing of the surgery, saying, "The timing isn't ideal, as it's almost a year before the Olympics, which is typically the time to push even harder. It's always difficult when plans change and you have to adapt to unexpected news. As an athlete, you constantly push your limits and, as a result, find yourself in the most vulnerable position. However, there's no way to avoid these situations if you want to achieve significant goals. Fortunately, the meniscus surgery was successful."

Looking on the bright side, Shmailov aims to recover as quickly as possible and hopes to return to competition within two months (a highly optimistic but feasible timeline). He acknowledges that this isn't his first injury and has learned to approach such situations optimistically. He refuses to let obstacles hinder his progress and has often discovered creative ways to work on what is possible and address what is lacking. Sometimes, this approach even helps him overcome longstanding challenges.

Despite the setbacks and unfortunate circumstances, Shmailov embraces the new path ahead and embarks on a rehabilitation process with his exceptional team of physiotherapists. He concludes with a message of love and anticipation, stating, "See you soon on the mat!"