Israeli Dana Azran wins silver at World Taekwondo Championships

Israeli taekwondo fighter Dana Azran, 21, won a silver medal at the Taekwondo World Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, marking Israel’s second medal ever in the international competition.

Azran, competing in the +73kg category, lost the final round of the championship to Uzbekistan’s Svetlana Osipova, who beat the Israeli contender 2:1.

During the preliminary stages of the competition, Azran marked impressive wins over opponents from the Ivory Coast and France.

She continued to impress spectators by defeating Mexico’s Paloma Garcia in the championship quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Azran overcame Germany’s Lorena Brandl, before being partnered with Osipova.

The first Israeli to score a medal in the competition was Ilan Goldschmidt, who won a bronze medal in 2005.

Dana Azran from Israel won the Bronze medal at the European Taekwondo under 21 Championships. Way to go Dana! We are so proud of you! ???????????? @FollowTeamISR pic.twitter.com/CUSlkeihYF

— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) August 27, 2021

Last year, taekwondo athlete Avishag Semberg made history when she won the bronze medal in the women’s -49kg category in the Tokyo Olympics.

Her victory netted Israel’s 10th medal in Olympic history and its first ever in the field of taekwondo.

At 19, Semberg was also the youngest Israeli to receive an Olympic medal.