Israeli swimmer Gorbenko booed at world championships as GB’s Colbert wins gold
Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko was jeered by some of the crowd after finishing second in the women’s 400m medley on the closing day of the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Gorbenko was being interviewed after the race when the jeers rang out at the Aspire Dome in Doha. She smiled and then sighed when she was booed again, this time as she mounted the podium at the medal ceremony. Others in the crowd clapped and cheered, partially drowning out the jeers.
The presence of Israeli swimmers in Qatar has been criticised by some protestors in Doha amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. The website SwimSwam said the booing was audible when Gorbenko’s name was announced in English, but not when it was called in Arabic. Soldiers have been attached to the Israeli team as a security measure during the championships.
“I’ve been here a week. I heard all these noises, but I’m with earplugs. I’m in my zone. I’m here to do what I love to do, which is sports,” Gorbenko said. “I’m here to represent my country ... And I’m doing this with the Israeli flag, and I’m proud of that. And whoever doesn’t like it, it’s just not my problem.”
Great Britain’s Freya Colbert won the race in 4 minutes, 37.14 seconds. Gorbenko clocked 4:37.36 and Italy’s Sara Franceschi was third in 4:37.86.
Colbert claimed gold after overtaking Gorbenko in the final 10m of the race. She had been sixth after the opening butterfly leg of the race.
“It’s so amazing, I’m still in a bit of disbelief. I knew I could do it, that was probably one of the first races that I’ve gone into at this level with total confidence in myself and my race plan,” Colbert said. “I just trusted that, not following the girls out on the butterfly, keeping true to what I know my strengths are and it really paid off at the end. I am so pleased.”
Gorbenko’s silver was Israel’s firstever swimming medal at the World Aquatics Championships. She was born in Israel to parents who immigrated from Ukraine. She won two gold medals at the 2021 short-course world championships.