Israeli Rhythmic Gymnast Wins Two Golds, One Silver at World Games
by i24 News
i24 News – Israeli rhythmic gymnast Daria Atamanov won two gold medals and one silver in the World Games, taking first place for her ribbon routine on Wednesday.
Atamanov, 16, also came second in the batons contest the day after she took the gold medal for her ball routine in this year’s games held in Birmingham, Alabama.
In the hoops event, the last of the four disciplines in the event, she came in sixth.
Israel finished top of the table in rhythmic gymnastics with three medals, followed by Italy with one gold and two silver, and then Bulgaria with one gold and silver.
Atamanov won a gold medal at the 2022 European Championships held in Tel Aviv last month, along with several other awards in recent years.
“I’m in a bit of shock. It’s exciting, it’s fun,” Atamanov told reporters after the win, according to The Times of Israel.
When asked about reaching the podium, she said, “You don’t think about it during the competition. You just think about each exercise individually, and then when you finish everything, you think about it.”
She is seen as a potential successor to Linoy Ashram, who retired recently after winning a gold medal during the Tokyo Olympics last year.
Ashram now serves on the coaching staff for Israel’s gymnastics team.