Israel is sending three swimmers to the 2024 World Championships after previously expressing doubts about their safety next month in Doha, Qatar.
Although the Israel Swimming Association (ISA) had security questions about swimmers traveling to an allied country of Hamas, the Israeli Security Service (Shin Bet) has apparently deemed the trip safe, though they declined to comment. Late last year, the ISA said it was unlikely to send a team to Doha.
Anastasia Gorbenko, a two-time world champion in SCM (50 breast and 100 IM) will be on the hunt for her first LCM Worlds medal in Doha. She placed 5th in the 200 IM (2:10.08) last year in Fukuoka, but there is a clear pathway to the podium with 2nd-place finisher Alex Walsh and 4th-place finisher Jenna Forrester absent from this year’s competition. Gorbenko is also entered in the 200 free, 200 back, 100 breast, and 400 IM along with her 200 IM specialty.
Louisville commit Daria Golovaty, 18, will contest the women’s 100 free, 200 free, and 400 free at her third World Championships. She placed 27th in both the 200 free (1:59.77) and 400 free (4:14.33) at Worlds last year. Golovaty and Gorbenko are training together with English-born Canadian coach Tom Rushton through the end of February.
Louisville junior Denis Loktev rounds out Israel’s team with entries in the men’s 100 free and 200 free. Last year, he placed 21st in the 200 free (1:47.08) in Fukuoka.
With just three swimmers headed to Doha, Israel will not be contesting any relays at the 2024 World Championships. The top three relays from 2023 Worlds and the 13 next-fastest relays from the combined 2023 and 2024 World Championships will receive Olympic invites to Paris this summer.
The Israeli men’s 400 free relay has their Olympic berth all but locked up after a 7th-place finish in Fukuoka, and both 800 free relays are in a solid spot after 10th-place showings last year. But Israel’s mixed medley relay is right on the edge of qualification following a 15th-place effort in Fukuoka, and both the men’s and women’s 400 medley relays are on the outside looking in at the moment.
Although the U.S. is sending just 20 swimmers to Doha and many big names are skipping the meet to focus on the Paris 2024 Olympics, World Aquatics is projecting the biggest field in World Championship history next month in Qatar.
Qatar has long provided financial support and political refuge for Hamas, the organization that killed 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages during a brutal attack on October 7. Israel has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since then, an unrelenting response that has led to a genocide case in the International Court of Justice.
Qatar says its affiliation with Hamas allows the country to maintain some political influence, which it has demonstrated in the last few months by negotiating the release of hostages.
Free Palestine
Start with banning Hamas sympathizers and everyone ok with invading another country, killing innocent civilians and using rape as a weapon.
For real
The only genocide was on October 7th. 26000 killed according to who? Hamas? UN? How many of those killed were terrorists?
Qatar should never have been allowed to host these games- at least not while there are still US and Israeli hostages.
Who has more expertise and have all the facts and data:
You?
Or
International Court of Justice?
ICJ is known for its antisemitism, but I guess so are you
https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/j7-task-force-statement-icj-preliminary-ruling-israel
Do you mean the beloved supporters of Ismail Haniyeh?
As opposed the beloved supporters of Israeli government who have been constantly condemned by the UN in the last 70 years for illegal occupation and occasional genocide?
And you say that because you live there and you know what’s going on in real life?
And you say that because you live there and you know what’s going on in real life?
Happy to put my real name on this one: I have multiple friends with family in Gaza who can personally testify to the widespread death and destruction of ordinary people who have never posed any terrorist threats.
No govt sources, not even the USA govt, nor I think even Israeli govt, has disputed the 26,000 number as being significantly inaccurate. With some quick googling I found that the IDF Back in December said 15k people died and about a third had ties to Hamas. The official count from Hamas of casualties at that same time was essentially the same at 16k. So there’s no reason to think that the current tally of 26k is inaccurate or that the vast… Read more »
U are bugged 😭
Bad idea..hoping everything goes well.
Pray for their safety in Qatar.
I hope they stay safer than Palestinian children are
People downvoting this comment are terrorist sympathizers. Disgusting, get educated.
Good, you should get educated.
Haridi and his friends…
I think the downvotes are because they expect safety to be easily assured in Qatar, not that they think the Israelis don’t deserve to be safe. Don’t confuse downvotes on that comment for wishing harm on anyone.
Exactly this.
You re a smart man. You get it