Israeli rhythmic gymnast wins bronze at world championship

Could Linoy Ashram, 18, win Israel’s first-ever Olympic medal in rhythmic gymnastics in Tokyo in 2020?
Linoy Ashram flanked by her coaches after winning a bronze medal in the 2017 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Italy, September 1, 2017. Photo by Amit Shisel

Israeli athlete Linoy Ashram, 18, won a historic bronze medal at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Pesaro, Italy, last Friday (September 1).

Ashram scored 18.375 in the hoop, 17.400 in the ball, 17.150 in the clubs and 17.100 in the ribbon competitions, making her the first Israeli to win a medal in the all-around competition at the World Championship.

The previous day, she and fellow Israeli rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin both won bronze medals in apparatus finals, Ashram for the ribbon and Rivkin for the hoop.

Ashram won a silver and a bronze medal at the recent World Games, and in July captured all five rhythmic gymnastics gold medals in the Maccabiah World Games in Israel.

She also took two medals at the European Championships in Budapest in May, and has two more competitions scheduled before the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Thus far, Israel has won Olympic medals only in judo, sailing and canoeing.

Ashram started competing in rhythmic gymnastics internationally in 2011 and won the all-around gold at the 2014 Junior Grand Prix Final in Innsbruck, Austria.