Israeli gymnast makes history, wins world championship bronze
Adi Rubenstein and Israel Hayom Staff
Linoy Ashram delivers stunning performance in the all-around competition at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Pesaro, Italy • “With this medal, I proved I can do anything,” Ashram says with an eye toward 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Linoy Ashram’s “breathtaking” performance made Israeli history on Friday by taking home the bronze medal in the all-around competition at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Pesaro, Italy.
A day earlier, the 18-year-old gymnast took the bronze in the ribbon event, finishing with a score of 16.650.
Ashram, who overcame a serious injury early in her career, delivered a stunning performance to become the first Israeli gymnast to ever medal in the all-around competition. The result is significant because the all-around is the only event at the World Championships in which Olympic medals are handed out.
Beyond the obvious implications for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, her historic result, of course, immediately makes Ashram the greatest Israeli gymnast of all time.
Ashram’s bronze secured yet another chapter in a dream season that already includes two bronze medals at the European Championships in Hungary, in May, and two medals at the recent World Games, where she won a silver medal in the clubs and a bronze in the hoop event.
Ashram finished behind Russian identical twins Dina and Arina Averina, registering an overall score of 70.025. The Israeli recorded 18.375 in the hoop, 17.400 in the ball, 17.150 in the clubs and 17.100 in the ribbon.
Dina Averina scored 74.700 overall and her sister, Arina, finished with a score of 73.450.
“With this medal I proved I can do anything,” Ashram said. “I need to continue to work hard and never stop believing in my abilities. It is far from a given that I managed to win a medal at the World Championships, especially my first World Championships. I’m really excited and this hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
Ashram will receive 60,000 shekels ($16,800) from the Culture and Sport Ministry and the Israeli Olympic Committee, which will also start giving her a monthly salary of NIS 8,500 ($2,400).
