Israel's Rhythmic Gymnastics Team Wins Silver, Securing 7th Medal

Israel's Rhythmic Gymnastics Team secured a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, marking the nation's seventh medal at the games. With a superb performance in the Group All-Around, the team showcased their dedication and skill, having successfully qualified for the finals on Friday.

Coach Ayelet Zussman praised the team's achievement, saying, "How did we do it? With the love for the sport, with the great coaching staff, and by working hard together. Linoy Ashram had a huge influence on rhythmic gymnastics and she had an incredible five years where she was constantly at the top, so we knew she was a candidate for a medal at the last Olympics. The same is true with this team, who have been at the top over the past three years and here they did it."

The team, consisting of Ofir Shaham, Diana Svertsov, Adar Friedmann, Romi Paritzki, and Shani Bakanov, scored 35.600 in the 5 Hoops, placing them fifth, and an impressive 33.250 in the 3 Ribbons and 2 Balls, securing second place. Their overall score of 68.850 put them just behind China, who claimed gold with 69.800, and ahead of Italy, who took bronze with 68.100.

The key to their success was their performance in the 3 Ribbons and 2 Balls, significantly improving from their qualification score of 31.900 and surpassing Italy to clinch the silver medal.

Romi Paritzki, who will be a flag bearer at the closing ceremonies, reflected on the team's accomplishment: "I can’t describe our feelings. This is the highlight of our career. I am thankful for going through this experience together. When we finished the first rotation, we were uncertain as to how we did, but Ayelet calmly told us to forget about what was, concentrate on what will be, go out and make history. When we saw that we were in second place, I realized how great an honor it was. Ayelet is a one-of-a-kind coach, she was our mother, and it’s all thanks to her."

The celebration of the victory and the hard work that secured it was echoed by other team members. Shani Bakanov shared, "We worked hard and after the first rotation we had to reset and do the second rotation as well as possible to get onto the podium. The coaching staff helped us do it and there was a lot of crying for joy."

Diana Svertsov expressed her astonishment: "I am shocked. I was extremely excited to see that we were in second place. It’s a dream come true to be here but to win a silver medal is unbelievable. I can’t get over how amazing and what kind of great honor this is. We are all different and complement each other like a puzzle. We came together and together we won."

Adar Friedmann reflected on the tense moments leading to their victory: "The most stressful moments of my life were when we were waiting. It was difficult and nerve-racking for us, it was a struggle from the first moment. Our secret? We work together like a family and take care of each other. It’s a historic and crazy achievement, we didn’t expect it and it stunned us."

Ofir Shaham added, "I’m shocked, unable to speak I don’t have any words. It was unbelievable. We have waited and worked so hard for this moment. At the end of the second exercise, we knew it was over and we were waiting for the score, we are thankful that we won a medal. Without the team, this would not have been possible. The crowd was crazy. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much."

Gili Lustig, CEO of the Israel Olympic Committee, remarked on the team's triumph, "We won 7 medals after what happened to us as a country on October 7. Precisely now, we are here, we are on the map, with a stand full of Israelis with blue-and-white flags. This is the victory over what happened to us on October 7. We were all on a mission and there is nothing more symbolic than that."

Other Israeli athletes also showcased their talents. In the Men’s Marathon, Maru Teferi finished 26th, Gashau Ayale 35th, and Girmaw Amare 44th. "A marathon is a marathon," Teferi stated. "Sometimes you plan and then the opposite of what you planned happens. What you plan doesn’t always happen and that’s what happened. I’m happy that I finished and that I reached the finish line and representing the country is also my honor."

In Artistic Swimming, Shelly Bobritsky and Ariel Nassee finished the Duet Technical Routine in 9th place, achieving an overall total of 482.4082. Meanwhile, in Cycling, Track Men’s Keirin, Mikhail Yakovlev advanced to the quarterfinals, hinting at another potential medal for Israel.

On Friday, Israelis excelled in Rhythmic Gymnastics and the River Seine. Daria Atamanov performed in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Qualification, finishing fifth overall. Although she didn’t secure a podium finish, the 18-year-old remains a strong contender for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Atamanov expressed her determination: "I gave my all and did everything I could," she said emotionally. "Nothing went through my mind after dropping the ball, just to keep doing the exercises as best as I can. There’s no time to think about it. You just move on. I had a tough year with an injury, without proper training and competitions, but that’s also what made me stronger. I hope I managed to inspire and that people are proud of me."

Her coach, Ayelet Zussman, praised her talent, stating, "Daria is a super talent; talent just overflows from her. She works hard. I have no doubt that if it weren’t for the injury, she could have achieved more. I’m proud of her for her performance and how she fought."

In the Men’s Marathon Swimming, Matan Roditi finished 16th with a time of 1:57:02 hours. "This ended pretty quickly when I realized that I had to try to fight the situation I was in," Roditi reflected. "I stayed strong and tried to finish as strong as possible. In fact, I did expect such a challenge, I knew that there are different rules here, swimming with the current or against the current, which is something that changes the game. I knew that almost everything was going to be determined in the first 600 meters and the beginning of the race, which is not where my strengths lie."

He continued, "I feel that I prepared for this for three years. In terms of a 10 km open water swim, my abilities were there, also in terms of strength and I had it but it ended quite quickly in the first 600 meters. I knew I had to give all my strength there, it wasn’t enough. From there, competing for the top-six or top-eight were pretty much over for me."

Israel's achievements at the Paris Olympics underscore the dedication and talent of its athletes, with the rhythmic gymnastics team leading the charge. The nation's ability to come together in the face of adversity and celebrate success on the international stage is a testament to the strength and unity of the Israeli spirit.

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