Israeli girl wins swimming gold at Youth Olympic Games

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) — Israel started the first day of the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires with a gold medal in swimming.

Anastasia Gorbenko, 15, won the women’s 200m individual medley on Sunday while setting an Israeli record of 2:12.88.

Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah,” was heard poolside during the medal ceremony with Gorbenko on the podium with silver medalist Anja Crevar of Serbia, who finished one second, and bronze medalist Cyrielle Duhamel of France.

The Israeli is competing with swimmers who are up to three years older than her in the 18-and-under competition. She will participate in another three races.

The 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, known as the III Summer Youth Olympic Games, are being held in Buenos Aires through Oct. 18.

Israel’s 19 athletes in the competition — 12 males and seven females —  are scheduled to meet with local Jewish youth and visit the sites of terror attacks against the Jewish community in the Argentine capital. They are participating in gymnastics, athletics, acrobatic gym, athletic gym, rhythmic gym, judo, taekwondo, swimming, triathlon and sailing.

After the first week of competition, the Israelis will share a day of activities at Hacoaj JCC and sport club being sponsored by the Jewish Argentine federation for sports and social community centers, or FACCMA. Hacoaj was founded in 1935 as the first Jewish rowing club in the country.

The Israeli will remain in Argentina following the games to visit the rebuilt headquarters of the AMIA Buenos Aires Jewish community center that was bombed in 1994, killing 85 and injuring hundreds. The team also will join Israeli Ambassador Ilan Sztulman in a visit to the site of the Israeli Embassy attacked in 1992 that killed 29.

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