The Israeli Swimming Association has announced their roster for the upcoming Short Course World Championships to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates beginning December 16th.
The seven person roster includes:
- Anastasia Gorbenko – European champion in both the SCM and LCM 200 IM. Gorbenko was also an Olympic finalist in Tokyo, finishing 10th in the 200 IM and 8th in the 100 back.
- Yakov Toumarkin – Won two silvers at the 2015 SCM European championships in the 200 back and 100 IM. Toumarkin competed for Israel at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the 100 and 200 back. In 2012 in London, he finished 8th in the 200 back with an Israeli record time (1:57.33)
- Matan Roditi – 4th at the Tokyo Olympics in the Open Water 10K. Roditi will also compete in the FINA Marathon series.
- Denis Loktev – Set the Israeli national record at Tokyo in the 200m free (1:46.64) leading off their 4 x 200 free relay. Loktev is heading to the University of Louisville after the World Championships.
- Kristian Pitshugin – Israeli record holder in the 50 and 100 breaststroke. Pitshugin is committed to swim at the University of Georgia.
- Michael Laitarovsky – Olympic Swimmer in the 100 back and freshman at the University of South Carolina.
- Eitan Ben Shitrit – 18-year-old IMer and Israeli junior record holder. Shitrit finished 8th in the 400 IM at the short course European Championships in Kazan.
Israel did not win a medal at the 2018 SCM World Championships in Hangzhou. LA Current swimmer Gorbenko may be Israel’s best shot at a medal this time around. She recently broke the Israeli national record in the 200 back (SCM) in the ISL playoffs. She also broke Israel’s national record in the 100 back leading off the medley relay at the same meet (57.49). Roditi, who just missed the podium in Tokyo, is also a good shot at an Israeli medal.
Israel has won two medals in the previous 14 editions of the Short Course Worlds, both bronze. Michael Halika won bronze in the 400 IM in 2000 and Vered Borchovski won bronze in the 50 fly in 2002.
