Silver medal-winning gymnasts’ quintet: Best thing in our lives; proud to represent Israel

The members of Israel’s silver medal-winning rhythmic gymnastics team at the Paris Olympics tell Israel’s Sport5 channel that they’re still absorbing their success and are delighted that they could give a boost to Israel.

Speaking immediately after the medals ceremony, Romi Paritzki, 20, says the five of them “fought to the end” after being in fifth place following the first of the final’s two exercises. “We had such a great time,” she says, adding that “the crowd was fantastic.” Noting that there are lots of Israeli flags in the hall, she says they are “so proud to represent the state, and to lift it; we’re a strong people.”

“We’re like a family,” she says of the team. “We have crises, we have to compromise… but we were so together and it was worth every second.”

Noting that they were the eighth and last of the finalists to perform the second exercise, Ofir Shaham, 19, praises their “wonderful team” of coaches for keeping them focused.

Diana Svertsov, 19, says that waiting for their score was “incredibly emotional” and adds that they did so well “because we worked together.” Echoing Israel’s much-used slogan in the war against Hamas, she says, “because we can only win together.”

Shani Bakanov, 18, says they “gave up a lot over the years” to focus on their sport, “but now we can make up.”

Adar Friedmann, 18, the fifth of the five to speak, calls the silver medal success “the best thing that’s happened in our lives.”