Full name Maya Arusi Sport Taekwondo Nationality Israel Event(s) 49 kg | Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) Name Maya Arusi Weight 49 kg (108 lb) | |
Born 17 October 1982 (age 41) ( 1982-10-17 ) Haifa, Israel | ||
Maya Arusi (Hebrew: מאיה ערוסי; born October 17, 1982 in Haifa) is an Israeli taekwondo practitioner, who competed in the women's flyweight category. She claimed two medals (a silver and a bronze) in the 51-kg division at the Trelleborg Open, and became the first Israeli athlete in history to compete in taekwondo in the Olympics at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Arusi trained throughout her career for Amos Lod Taekwondo Club, under head coach and master Alexei Orehov.
Arusi qualified as a lone taekwondo fighter for the Israeli squad in the women's flyweight class (49 kg) at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, by placing second behind Spain's Brigitte Yagüe and granting a berth from the European Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan. Arusi suffered an immediate 1–5 defeat to Venezuela's Dalia Contreras in her opening match. With her Venezuelan opponent being beaten by Canada's Ivett Gonda in the quarterfinals, Arusi hindered her chances to compete for an Olympic bronze medal in the repechage.
She is one of three Israeli taekwondo Olympians, along with Bat El Gaterer (Beijing, 2008) and Ron Atias (Rio de Janeiro, 2016).