SPORTS
Israeli gymnast wins silver and bronze medals at world championship
By Arye Green/TPS
Baku, September 19, AZERTAC
Leading Israeli gymnast Linoy Ashram on Tuesday won the silver and bronze medals at the 37th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to TPS news agency.
Ashram first won the silver medal with 23.4 points in the hoop competition and then went on to win the bronze with 23.5 points in the ball competition.
Ashram has previously won five medals in world championships, bringing her to a total of seven world championship medals, a year ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Ashram has had a particularly successful summer in 2019, winning seven medals at international competitions; three gold medals at the Grand Prix in March, and two gold and two silver medals at the European Games in June.
At 20-years-old, Ashram is a prime candidate for a medal in the Tokyo Olympics as Israel’s top individual rhythmic gymnast.
“I am proud to represent Israel here. Of course, going to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would be a dream. It is every athlete’s dream,” Linoy said following her double medal win at the competition.
The Israeli gymnastics team in Baku also included 18-year-old Nicol Zelikman, who earned 21.45 points in both the hoop and the ball competitions.
According to AZERTAC, the Olympic qualifying championship brings together more than 300 gymnasts from 61 countries.