Israeli swimmer Gorbenko takes gold at European Short Course Championships

Young athlete continues to impress after her Israeli record-breaking performance at the Olympics

By ToI Staff 6 November 2021, 7:37 pm 1

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Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko competes during the 200-meter individual medley semi-final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, on July 26, 2021. (Amit Shisel/Israel Olympic Committee)

Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko took home the gold on Saturday in the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships, in the 200-meter individual medley.

Gorbenko won first place in Kazan, Russia, with a result of 2:05.17 minutes. Maria Ugolkova of Switzerland came in second with 2:06.41, while Viktoriya Zeynep Güneş of Turkey was third with 2:07.67.

Gorbenko made history earlier this year when she became the first female Israeli swimmer to advance to an Olympic final. The 18-year-old, then 17, eventually finished in eighth place in the 100m backstroke final, but was hailed in Israel for her performance.

Gorbenko said then that she brings everything she has to every race: “My goal is always to advance as far as possible, and to break my own personal records.”