Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko shrugged off boos from some pro-Palestinian members of 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 at the World Swimming Championships, but the crowd in Qatar whistled when he went up to collect his medal, as well as at his post-race poolside interview.
And he added: ‘It’s not the first time, I’ve been here for a week… I’ve heard all these noises but I’m wearing earplugs, I’m in my zone. I am here to do what I love to do, which is sport, I am here to represent my country.
Gorbenko smiled as he took the podium and sighed during the mix of boos and cheers from the spectators. He later said that it was not the first time he had been booed at the event.
‘It’s not the first nor the last time. At the end of the day I’m here to swim, that’s what I do best… If you don’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 he had no qualms about going to collect his medal, despite the hostile reception amid 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 he had no qualms about going up to collect his medal.
“I worked hard for it, I deserve to be on the podium, there’s no way I’m going to miss it just because of some little kids,” he told reporters.
“I worked hard for it, I deserve to be on the podium, there’s no way I’m going to miss it just because of some little kids,” he told reporters.
‘I am proud to be here, I am proud to be Israeli and represent my country here… I am very happy to be here and represent my country in this difficult time. “Being here with the Israeli flag means a lot to me and my country, so that’s the best I can do.”
She also said she has felt completely safe during her stay in Qatar, even though Hamas has an office in Doha, where three of its senior leaders live under government protection.
“We have a lot of security around us at all times, both Israelis and Qataris, so security is the first thing they consider before coming here,” explained the champion.
“It’s just sport. I think sports and politics should be separated. But it affects me emotionally, it’s been a long week for me, I was hoping to do better than I did,” she added.
“So being able to get on the podium at the end of the week means a lot to me as an athlete and gives me a boost of confidence going into this Olympic year.”
Gorbenko said he would not hesitate to swim in future events in Arab countries.
‘At the end of the day, Israel is also in the Middle East; I hope that one day we can make peace with everyone,” he told reporters.
Reuters reported that state-affiliated media in Doha and pro-Palestinian groups in the country criticized Gorbenko’s participation in the event.
The Gaza war began with the Hamas attack on October 7 that killed about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
The militants also took around 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.