Watan-Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko was subjected to cries of condemnation from the audience at the conclusion of the World Championship held in Qatar.
Gorbenko won the silver medal in the women’s 400-meter individual medley, and the audience launched cries of disapproval during the post-race interview inside the Aspire Dome.
The cries of disapproval continued as the swimmer exited and during the medal ceremony, which also witnessed some applause.
Gorbenko stated that she had been subjected to cries of disapproval several times during the week and it had affected her psychologically.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of the brutal war waged by the Israeli occupation army on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in around 29,000 martyrs and nearly 70,000 wounded, with thousands missing.
صيحات استهجان ضد إسرائيلية في بطولة العالم للسباحة بالدوحة#حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/TwbIv4FF0P
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) February 18, 2024
Political matters took center stage
Political matters dominated the event in Doha, where Belarusian swimmers competed as independents due to restrictions imposed on their athletes and those of Russia due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
The Russian Swimming Union described the restrictions as unacceptable, and none of its swimmers participated in the championship.
This boycott further weakened the championship, as some of the top swimmers were absent from Doha due to its unusual timing during the preparation period for the Paris Olympics scheduled for July and August.
However, Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström added excitement to the championship.
Sjöström, the world record holder, clocked the fourth-fastest time in history, 23.69 seconds, in the final of the 50-meter freestyle, establishing herself as a top contender for the title in the Paris Olympics.
The Swedish swimmer, who defeated American Katie Douglass by 0.22 seconds, said, “It was fantastic… I came here with confidence after achieving a good time, so this gives me great confidence before (the Olympics) in Paris.”