Israel teen takes swimming gold at Youth Olympics and smashes national record

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. She also set a new Israeli record of 2:12.88.

Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikva,” was heard poolside during the medal ceremony on a podium with silver medallist Anja Crevar of Serbia, who finished the race one second slower at 2:13.98, and bronze medallist Cyrielle Duhamel of France, who finished at 2: 14:15.

The Israeli medallist 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 brought 19 athletes to the competition, who also are scheduled to meet with local Jewish youth and will visit the sites of terror attacks against the Jewish community in Buenos Aires.

The 12 male athletes and 7 female athletes ranging in age from 14 to 18, will participate in gymnastics, athletics, acrobatic gym, athletic gym, rhythmic gym, judo, taekwondo, swimming, triathlon and sailing.

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

After the games the Israeli athletes will remain in Argentina to visit the rebuilt headquarters of the AMIA Buenos Aires Jewish community centre 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 killing 29.