Israel's Artistic Swimming Team Begins Competition at 2026 European Championships in Paris

Israel's artistic swimming team is set to open the country's participation at the 2026 European Aquatics Championships in Paris starting Friday. The team will compete in six events over six days: free duet, technical duet, mixed technical duet, free team, technical team, and acrobatics routine. Eleven athletes are representing Israel, including Katty Konin and Aya Mazor in the duets, and Yogev Dagan with Lior Makmel in the mixed duet. The full roster features swimmers from clubs such as Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Alha Mazkeret Batya.

The team arrives with momentum after winning a bronze medal in the acrobatics routine at the World Cup in Paris earlier this season, marking their first podium finish and surpassing traditional powerhouses like China and the United States. Despite being a very young squad, mostly juniors, this European Championship serves as a key developmental stage on their path toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The team faced a setback when Yaara Sharabi suffered a concussion during training, leading to Noa Tzarfati stepping in for the group routine. Coaches Valeria Aprilba and Yael Polka, along with delegation head Shir Hornung, remain confident the team will perform well. Aprilba emphasized the significance of competing in the duet for the first time since the Paris Olympics and expressed belief the team will represent Israel with honor.

Following the artistic swimming events, the European Championships will continue with open water swimming next week and pool swimming starting August 10. All events are broadcast live on Sport Channel.