Rhythmic gymnasts miss out on medal

Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team have failed to add to Israel’s two bronze medals at the Rio Olympics, after missing out on a top-three finish in the Group All-Around final.

Comprising a young team, Yuval Filo, Alona Koshevatskiy, Ekaterina Levina, Karina Lykhvar or Ida Mayrin – were all under 19-years-old.

Their first routine – the five ribbons – saw them register 8.500 for difficulty, 8.666 for execution, giving them a total of 17.166, which was only the sixth best of the eight competing teams.

Second to perform of the eight sides, their second routine, the three clubs and two hoops, saw them score 17.383 points, registering 8.750 points for difficulty and 8.633 for execution, to give them a total of 34.549 points, which overall saw them claim a sixth place finish.

The team seemed unaffected by revelations revealed before the Games, which said head coach Ira Vigdorchik reportedly kicked Levina during training, though Vigdorchik said preparations were hampered by it, She said: “It really affected us, but we did our best, we rose from the ashes. It is impossible to explain how problematic the past six weeks were.”

However, delighted with the performance, she added: “I’m very pleased because simply reaching the final was very difficult. The competition was really tough. I always tell people that the Olympics are very different from any other competition, both from an emotional and political standpoint. Nevertheless, they reached the final and finished in sixth place among the best teams in the world.”

Saying she would like to continue in her role, she added: “If the country wants me to continue it will ask. I want to continue and coach because that is what I love more than anything else in life. The question is, does the country want me or not? It is out of my hands.There is no doubting my love for the country.”

Team captain Koshevatskiy, who carried the Israel flag in Sunday night’s closing ceremony, said: “I have no words to explain what we experienced here, we will never forget this experience. I’m proud of everything we achieved on our way to the Olympics and especially here in Rio.

“I want to thank everyone who supported us. We did what we could. Last month’s mess didn’t affect us at all. I’m proud to represent Israel.”

FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF ALL THE ISRAELI AND JEWISH ATHLETES IN RIO HERE: