Israel Gymnasts Make History Reaching Floor Final at World Championships

In a historic achievement for Israeli gymnastics, Artem Dolgopyat and Noam Barkovitch have qualified for the floor exercise final at the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This marks the first time two Israeli gymnasts have reached the final of the same event at the World Championships. Dolgopyat, an Olympic medalist and the current European champion in the floor exercise, secured third place in the qualifying rounds with a score of 14.300. Barkovitch, competing in his first senior season, qualified in seventh place with a score of 14.033, having previously won a bronze medal at the World Cup in Croatia earlier this year.

Last year, Israel was excluded from the World Championships in Indonesia due to visa issues imposed by the local government. The qualification of both Dolgopyat and Barkovitch to the same final is considered a significant milestone for Israeli gymnastics, providing two representatives in the medal contention for one of the sport's most prestigious events. The final is scheduled for Saturday.

In other events at the championships, Barkovitch also finished 37th overall in the all-around competition with a score of 77.065. The Israeli men's team concluded the team competition in 20th place. The team also includes gymnasts Ron Piatov, Ilya Lyubimov, and Ron Ortal.

Avi Sagie, Chairman of the Israeli Gymnastics Federation, expressed pride in the gymnasts' accomplishments, highlighting Dolgopyat's continued high-level performance and Barkovitch's rapid success in his first senior year. National coach Sergei Weisburg also conveyed pride, emphasizing Dolgopyat's consistency and Barkovitch's emergence as a top-tier competitor, and stated the team's focus is now on delivering their best performance in the final.