Abigail Klein Leichman
August 8, 2021

Rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram won a gold medal for Israel in the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, beating out stiff competition in three separate routines with hoops, ball and ribbon.

“It’s what I dreamed of for all my life,” said Ashram, 22. She is the first Israeli woman to win a gold medal and the third overall.

Artistic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat, 24, won a gold medal on August 1 for his floor exercise routine. Gal Fridman won Israel’s first-ever gold medal, in sailboarding, in the 2004 Athens Games.

Israel also won two bronze medals at Tokyo – one for taekwondo martial artist Avishag Semberg and the other for the national judo team.

These four medals are the most that Israel has ever won at a single Olympics Games.

The running total in the history of Israel’s participation in 17 Summer Olympics since 1952 now stands at 13, six of them in judo.

Today, the final day of the Tokyo Games, Israel’s women’s rhythmic gymnastics team finished sixth in the all-around finals.

Ashram will carry Israel’s flag at the closing ceremony.

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