Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko shrugged off the boos from a section of the pro-Palestinian crowd after winning a silver medal at the world swimming championships in Doha on Sunday.
Gorbenko, 20, took second place in the 400m freestyle at the World Swimming Championships, but the crowd in Qatar whistled as she went up to receive her medal, as well as during the post-race interview by the pool.
She added: ‘It’s not the first time, I’ve been here for a week… I’ve heard all these sounds, but I wear earplugs, I’m in my zone. I’m here to do what I love to do: sport, I’m here to represent my country.
Gorbenko smiled as she climbed the stage and sighed to the mix of boos and cheers from the audience. She later said it wasn’t the first time she had been made fun of at the event.
‘It’s not the first or the last time. Ultimately, I’m here to swim, that’s what I’m best at. Whoever doesn’t like it, it’s not my problem, we’re here to play sports.’
Gorbenko, whose parents are from Ukraine but was born and raised in Israel, said she had no reservations about going up to collect her medal despite the hostile reception during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Anastasia Gorbenko, 20, took second place in the 400m freestyle at the World Swimming Championships, but the crowd in Qatar whistled as she went up to collect her medal
Gorbenko, whose parents are from Ukraine but was born and raised in Israel, said she had no reservations about going up to collect her medal.
“I worked hard for it, I deserve to be on stage, there’s no way I could miss it just because of some little kids,” she told reporters
“I worked hard for it, I deserve to be on stage, there’s no way I could 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 difficult 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 felt completely 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 Israelis and Qataris, so safety is the first thing they think about before coming here,” the champion explained.
‘It’s just exercise. I think sports and politics should be separated. But it does have emotional consequences for me. 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 in Arab countries.
‘Ultimately, Israel is also in the Middle East; I hope that one day we can make peace with everyone,” she told the press.
Reuters reported that state media in Doha and pro-Palestinian groups in the country criticized Gorbenko’s participation in the event.
The Gaza war began with Hamas’ attack on October 7, 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 bombings and ground offensive in Gaza have killed at least 28,985 people, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry.