Israel Hernández Planas Will Be the Head Coach of the U.S. National Judo Team

March 21, 2025

Israel Hernández Planas, a former Cuban judoka and two-time Olympic medalist, has been named head coach of the U.S. Resident National Team Judo Program, based at the Charlotte Performance Center in North Carolina. The announcement, made by the sport's federation in the country, USA Judo, marks a new stage in the career of this distinguished athlete who will assume his duties on April 7.

Hernández, who won bronze medals for Cuba at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games in the -65 kg category, arrives to succeed Robert Eriksson, who left the position in December. His impressive record also includes five medals at Panamerican Championships (four gold) and three medals at Panamerican Games, highlighting the gold won in 1995.

"Judo has ceased to be a merely technical sport to become a technical-tactical sport," said Hernández, born in Santiago de Cuba in 1970 and now residing in Keswick, Virginia. "The excellence we achieve through our joint work will generate greater success for judo in the United States," added the experienced coach in statements cited in the press release.

Corinne Shigemoto, executive director of USA Judo, highlighted the importance of this hiring: "his personal success on the tatami, combined with his deep technical experience, will be fundamental in pushing our athletes to the next level."

The program that Hernández will direct, established in 2023 through an alliance between USA Judo and the U.S. Performance Center, offers athletes access to cutting-edge technology, including sports medicine services, psychology, nutrition, and rehabilitation. Additionally, student-athletes can benefit from in-state tuition and scholarships at the University of North Carolina.