Taekwondo Paralympian Asaf Yasur wins semifinal, securing silver or gold medal for Israel

Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel

Israeli taekwondo athlete Asaf Yasur (blue) competes at the 2024 Paris Paralympics on August 29, 2024. (Lilach Weiss-Rosenberg)
Israeli taekwondo athlete Asaf Yasur (blue) competes at the 2024 Paris Paralympics on August 29, 2024. (Lilach Weiss-Rosenberg)

Israeli taekwondo athlete Asaf Yasur beats Taiwan’s Xiang Wen Xiao 16-6 in the semifinal of the men’s under-58kg in the Paris Paralympics, advancing to the final and securing Israel’s first medal of the Games.

In the final, to be held later tonight, Yasur will face either Azerbaijan’s Sabir Zeynalov or Turkey’s Alican Özcan, where he is guaranteed to walk away with either silver or gold.

Yasur, 22, lost both of his arms in an electrocution accident shortly before his 13th birthday. Paris marks his Paralympic debut, after he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

Earlier, Israel’s Nina Gorodetzky lost to Switzerland’s Cynthia Mathez in her opening badminton match in the group round, and will face Japan’s Sarina Satomi tomorrow.

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