Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has become accustomed in recent years to hosting a series of major sporting events, and only last week the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships ended, and now, tomorrow (Sunday), the World Taekwondo Championships got underway. In the Crystal Hall on the banks of the Caspian Sea, an impressive number of 1,000 athletes, from 144 countries (including Russia, Belarus and a refugee team), will compete in 16 weight categories (8 for men and 8 for women) in the coming days.
The championship will be the most important opening shot ahead of the Olympic year. The Israeli delegation consists of ten athletes, including five ranked in the top ten of the world rankings, which automatically makes them medal-worthy candidates.
Leading the delegation is Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo, Avishag Samberg (up to 49 kg), ranked sixth in the world, who will participate on Wednesday (May 31) and try to win a first career medal in the important competition and take a significant step towards a second career Olympics.
First will enter the competition circuit Nimrod Krivitsky, a friend of Samberg's, who is ranked tenth in the 68 kg weight category, and will compete on Monday (29.5), on Tuesday (30.5) Dima Naguiev will compete 58 kg. An interesting day awaits on Thursday (June 1) where the runner-up of the world champion Dana Azran, who competes in the 6+ kg category, where she is ranked tenth in the world, and Yegor Rogozhin, who will compete in the 73kg category, will participate.
On Friday (June 2), European Championships bronze medalist Rebecca Baich, ranked third in the world in the 6kg category, and Tom Pashkovki, who will compete in the 46kg category, where he is ranked sixth in the world. On Saturday (June 54rd), Ilya Ruderman will compete in the 3kg weight category
On Sunday (June 4), Jana Lager will compete in 6 kg and Alex Filipov 53+ kg. The team is accompanied by national coach Yehiam Sharabi, national team coach Roman Rusinov, and the shell staff Antonio Arbid (masseuse), Irit Smilansky (physiotherapist) and Tomer Gutman (psychologist).
Sharabi said: "The whole team and staff worked very hard to get as prepared as possible for this competition, which is a direction call for the Olympic Games in Paris. Although at the World Championships we don't have quarts divided into Paris, but the Olympic score is very high, so success in the competition will put a high number of chances of qualifying for the Games. We came with a very strong team and I believe in the athletes who will prove it."
Yehuda Maain, Chairman of the Association: "We expect very interesting days in Baku, this is a very important competition and we are aiming very high for Paris 2024, and to continue the achievements and momentum of the industry over the past two years."
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Even before the championships, two Russian athletes, Olympic champions from Torio, were expelled from the competition after they were found to support the war in Ukraine, while two Iranian athletes were expelled after being caught using banned substances.
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