Rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram snags two golds at European Games

Israeli rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram took home two gold and two silver medals at the European Games over the weekend, adding more hardware to an already impressive haul ahead of next year’s probable Olympic run.

Linoy won gold in the balls and clubs competitions and silver in ribbons and  Women’s Individual Multiple Competition on Saturday and Sunday, snagging Israel’s only medals thus far in the Minsk games.

The 20-year-old Rishon Lezion native has become a favorite to medal at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, in Tokyo, Japan.

Ashram has racked up an impressive series of victories in recent competitions, winning two golds and a bronze at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in August, setting a world record in the clubs event.

A month later, she finished second in the world championships, the best ever performance by an Israeli.

Earlier this year, she won three gold medals at the Grand Prix Marbella in Spain, scooping up top honors in the hoop, clubs, and ribbons competitions.

Israeli rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram with her silver medal at the European Union of Gymnastics championships held in Minsk, Belarus, June 23, 2019. (Courtesy, Israel Gymnastics Federation)

More than 4,000 athletes from 50 countries are competing in the Second European Games that opened on Friday and conclude on June 30. As of Sunday, Russia is leading the medals standings with 35 in total including 18 golds. Israel is currently in eighth place with Linoy’s two golds and two silvers, but is hoping to take home several more in judo and other sports.

Israel is represented by 39 athletes who are competing in 10 different sports: cycling, boxing, badminton, judo, wrestling, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, gymnastics, shooting and archery. The Israel Olympic Committee said it is using the European Games as an Olympic qualifier for several sports.

The Olympic Committee said it was expected to come away from Minsk with at least 5-7 medals. Ashram alone has moved Israel more than half way to that goal.