Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko shrugged off boos from the crowd after winning a silver medal at the world swimming championships in Doha on Sunday.
Gorbenko, 20, took second place in the 400m freestyle t the World Aquatics Championship – but the crowd in Qatar whistled when she went up to collect her medal, as well as in the post-race poolside interview.
She added: ‘It’s not the first time, I’ve been here a week… I’ve heard all these noises but I’m with ear plugs, I’m in my zone. I’m here to do what I love to do, which is sport, I’m here to represent my country.
Gorbenko smiled when she mounted the podium and sighed during the mix of boos and cheers from spectators. She later said it was not the first time she had been jeered at the event.
‘It’s not the first or the last time. At the end of the day I’m here to swim, that’s what I’m doing best… Whoever doesn’t like it it’s not my problem, we’re here to do sport.’
Gorbenko, whose parents are from Ukraine but was born and raised in Israel, said she had no misgivings about going up to collect her medal, despite the hostile reception.
Anastasia Gorbenko, 20, took second place in the 400m freestyle t the World Aquatics Championship – but the crowd in Qatar whistled when she went up to collect her medal
Gorbenko, whose parents are from Ukraine but was born and raised in Israel , said she had no misgivings about going up to collect her medal
‘I worked hard for it, I deserve to be on the podium, there’s no way I’d miss it just because of some little kids,’ she told reporters
‘I worked hard for it, I deserve to be on the podium, there’s no way I’d miss it just because of some little kids,’ she told reporters.
‘I’m proud to be here, I’m proud to be an Israeli and represent my country here… I’m just so happy to be here and represent my country in this hard time. Being here with the Israeli flag means a lot to me and to my country, so that’s the best I can do.’
She also said she has felt totally safe during her stay in Qatar, even though Hamas has an office in Doha, where three of its senior leaders live under the government’s protection.
‘We have a lot of security around us at all times, both Israeli and Qatari, so safety is the first thing that they consider before coming here,’ the champion explained.
‘It’s just sport. I think sports and politics should be separated. But it does effect me emotionally, it’s been a long week for me, I expected myself to do better than I did,’ she added.
‘So to be able to stand on the podium at the end of the week means a lot to me as an athlete and gives me a confidence boost in this Olympic year.’
Gorbenko said she would not hesitate to swim at future events at Arab countries.
‘At the end of the day, Israeli is in the Middle East as well; I hope one day we’ll be able to make some peace with everyone,’ she told the press.
Reuters reported that state-affiliated media in Doha and pro-Palestine groups in the country criticized Gorbenko’s participation in the event.
The Gaza war began with Hamas’s October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Militants also took about 250 hostages, 130 of whom are still in Gaza, including 30 who are presumed dead, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza have killed at least 28,985 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry.