Pod Save America Hosts Call on Democrats to Cut All Israel Military Aid, No Longer Accept AIPAC Funding
Jews, Israelis Targeted in Austria Amid Surge in Antisemitic Incidents; Local Jewish Community Calls for Action
‘All of Our Strength’: Over 1,000 Pro-Israel Activists Gather in DC for Solidarity Conference
‘Devastated’: Wesley LePatner, Killed in Manhattan Mass Shooting, Was a Jewish Communal, Philanthropic Leader
Sen. Angus King Vows to No Longer Vote for Israel Military Aid Until Gaza Conditions Improve
Europe Won’t Pressure Israel to ‘Commit Suicide’ Amid Gaza Backlash, Palestinian State Push, Says Israeli FM
Israel’s National Soccer Coach Attacked in Athens Before Soccer Fans Chant ‘F–K Israel, Free Palestine’ at Match
New York Judge Sentences Neo-Nazi to 5 Years for Livestreaming Bomb Threats Against Jewish Hospitals
US Pressures Lebanon to Issue Cabinet Decision to Disarm Hezbollah Before Talks Continue
UK Plans to Recognize Palestinian State in September Unless Israel Meets Conditions, Starmer Says
Israeli Olympic Gold Gymnasts Look Ahead to Paris 2024 Games and Whether They Will Compete
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Olympic gold medalist Artem Dolgopyat of Israel celebrates on the podium with his medal, Ariake Gymnastics Centre; Tokyo, Japan; August 1, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Israeli Olympians Linoy Ashram and Artem Dolgopyat talked on Thursday about their plans for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris following their recent gold medal wins at the Tokyo Olympics, Israel’s Walla news reported Thursday.
Ashram, 22, admitted that she is unsure if she will compete at the next Sumer Games at a gathering organized by the Israeli Gymnastics Association at the Orde Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports in Netanya.
The athlete, who won the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around event on Saturday, said, “I will only decide later if I will compete in Paris 2024. Age is not the significant factor for me at the moment, and it is not the factor that will lead me to the decision.” Ashram, who trains at the Wingate Institute, also said she would love to coach and “even now I enjoy mentoring young girls, and that’s something I would like to pursue later.”
The rhythmic gymnast is the first Israeli woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics. She won Israel’s third Olympic gold medal six days after Dolgopyat, 24, won his own gold in the category of men’s floor artistic gymnastics.
At Thursday’s event, Dolgopyat said he plans on competing in the 2024 Games at least in one category, if not more, besides the floor exercise. He explained, “To put all the money just on the floor exercise is not right, and I can also do the jumping exercise well … I’m not sure that I can do the all-around — these [have a] difficult and rigid criteria — but I will do all the apparatuses in the upcoming championships in order to evaluate my ability for the Olympics.”
While he’s adjusting to his newfound fame, the Olympian keeps his gold medal with him at all times. He said, “The medal is always with me, even more than the cell phone. I go with it everywhere. I put the cell phone aside sometimes but not the medal.”
He also applauded Ashram’s Olympic win and joked, “we are both from the same area. Maybe there is something in the air of East Rishon Lezion that brings accomplishments.”
At the recently concluded Summer Games in Tokyo Israel’s Olympic delegation also won a bronze medal by the judo mixed team, and another bronze by Avishag Semberg for taekwondo in the women’s 49kg category.
