Despite Dropping Ribbon, Israeli Gymnast Wins Gold
2 Min Read
An uproar occurred in the Olympic section of rhythmic gymnastics as an Israeli contestant was placed first after making a blatant mistake during her performance.
-
Israeli contestant Linoy Ashram picks up her ribbon from the ground mid-performance.
Dismay has ravaged the Olympics, as Israeli contestant Linoy Ashram was awarded a golden medal for her performance despite making a blatant mistake.
Ashram was performing in the Rhythmic Gymnastics section of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when, during her routine, she dropped her ribbon, which is the essential performance tool in the sport, yet still went on to be placed first.
Ladies and gentlemen the "Olympic Champion"
— 𝓐lice 💎 (@Alice_cattani) August 7, 2021
Judge for yourself 🤷♀️#rhythmicgymnastics pic.twitter.com/lZemLpm9ic
The decision to award Ashram the golden medal infuriated the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), notably as their contestant, Dina Averina, a three-time World All-around Champion, was set to win the gold medal after what many experts described as a “flawless performance.”
-
Russian champion Dina Averina looks in disbelief at the score results
Head coach of the Russian national team, Viner-Usanova, described the decision as a “Flagrant injustice which had been planned in advance,” and went on to compare it to “doping or bribing the judges.”
Averina, was eventually placed second, winning silver, with many unable to understand how her overall score came lower than Ashram who, simply put, lost the ribbon halfway through her performance.
🇷🇺Дина Аверина - Олимпийская Чемпионка🥇#wewillROCyou💪
— ★𝒌𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖗𝖚𝒔★ (@krotrus) August 7, 2021
Так решил народ России. pic.twitter.com/SLJKGr1Ek3
The ROC lodged several complaints protesting the results, yet to no avail.
Ashram is the first woman to win a gold Olympic medal for “Israel,” breaking Russia's 25 years gold-winning streak in Olympic rhythmic gymnastics since 1996.
What many Israelis celebrated as a sports victory was viewed by professionals and enthusiasts globally to be a political gesture to dethrone Russia and give a push for “Israel” on the world stage.
