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Ofir Shaham

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Ofir Shaham
אופיר שחם
Country represented Israel
Born (2004-11-23) 23 November 2004 (age 19)
Zikhron Ya'akov, Israel
DisciplineRhythmic Gymnastics
LevelInternational Elite
Years on national team2022–present
ClubIroni Netanya
Head coach(es)Ayelet Zussman
Assistant coach(es)Linoy Ashram[1]
Former coach(es)Ilana Brenner
Medal record
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Representing  Israel
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
FIG World Cup 6 6 2
European Championships 2 4 4
World Championships 2 2 0
Total 10 12 6
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris Group all-around
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Valencia Group All-Around
Gold medal – first place 2023 Valencia 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls
Silver medal – second place 2022 Sofia Group All-Around
Silver medal – second place 2022 Sofia 5 Hoops
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Tel Aviv Group All-Around
Gold medal – first place 2023 Baku 5 Hoops
Silver medal – second place 2022 Tel Aviv 5 Hoops
Silver medal – second place 2023 Baku Group All-Around
Silver medal – second place 2023 Baku 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls
Silver medal – second place 2024 Budapest 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Tel Aviv Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Baku Team
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Budapest Team
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Budapest 5 Hoops
European Cup
Gold medal – first place 2024 Baku All-around
Gold medal – first place 2024 Baku 5 Hoops

Ofir Shaham (Hebrew: אופיר שחם, born 23 November 2004) is an Israeli team world champion rhythmic gymnast. She won a 2022 European Championship gold medal in the group All-Around, and a 2022 World Championships silver medal in the same category. The following year at the 2023 World Championships, she won two team gold medals, one in the Group All-Around and one in the 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls. Shaham represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Women's rhythmic team all-around, in which Team Israel won the silver medal.

Early life

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Shaham's hometown is the town of Zikhron Ya'akov in Israel.[2][3] She studied at the Moshav High School.[4]

Rhythmic gymnastics career

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Shaham began the sport at age nine, when in search of a dance class she arrived at the sports hall in Zikhron Ya'akov where rhythmic gymnasts trained.[2][3][5] She was drawn to the combination of gymnastics, dance, apparatus, and flashy clothes.[6] Ilana Brenner was her first coach.[6]

After she won an Israeli championship at age 12, she decided that she wanted to go as far as possible in the sport.[6] Her club is Ironi Netanya.[7] Her ultimate dream is to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games, and her idol is Israeli three-time Olympian rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin.[6]

2021–22; European champion

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In September 2021 auditions for the new Israeli national group began, and about 30 girls from all over the country auditioned.[4] The qualifiers were physically and mentally difficult, and gymnasts were eliminated until nine gymnasts remained.[4] Since January 2022 Shaham trains for 11 hours a day, 6 days a week, at the Wingate Institute in Israel.[4]

The team debuted at the 2022 World Cup in Athens, Greece, in March, winning gold in 5 hoops and 3 ribbons + 2 balls.[8] Then in the 2022 Baku World Cup in Azerbaijan in April they won the bronze medal in the All-Around and 5 hoops.[9] At the 2022 Pamplona World Cup in Spain in May they won All-Around silver,[10] at the 2022 Portimão World Cup in Portugal in May they won the All-Around gold,[11] and at the 2022 Cluj-Napoca World Cup in Romania in August they won the All-Around and 5 hoops silver.[12]

In June 2022 Shaham competed in the 2022 European Championships in Tel Aviv, Israel, where the group won the All-Around gold medal ahead of Italy, and won the silver medal with 5 hoops, as well as the bronze medal in the senior team category.[6][13][14] She competed along with teammates Adar Friedmann, Amit Hedvat, Romi Paritzki, Shani Bakanov, Diana Svertsov, and in the individuals Daria Atamanov and Adi Asya Katz.[15]

In September 2022 Shaham competed in the 2022 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, along with Adar Friedmann, Romi Paritzki, Diana Svertsov, and Diana Svertsov, winning two silver medals, one in the All-Around and one in the 5 hoops' final.[6][16] Despite being among the favourites for a team medal, Israel was not able to take part in the competition because Atamanov broke her foot the day before the competition started and replacements had to be announced at least 24 hours before competition, leaving the country with only Katz in the individual event.[17] In Sofia they won silver in the All-Around and with 5 hoops.[18]

2023; two World championships

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In 2023 at the first World Cup of the season in Athens, Greece, in March the group won gold in the All-Around and with 5 hoops, as well as silver with 3 ribbons + 2 balls.[19] In the 2023 Sofia World Cup in Bulgaria, they won two silver medals, one in the All-Around and one with 5 hoops.[18] In July 2023, with Team Israel at the Milan World Cup in Italy, Shaham won a silver medal in the All-Around, as Italy won the gold medal.[20]

In May 2023 at the 2023 European Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, she and Team Israel won a silver medal in Group All-Around and a bronze medal in Team.[21]

In August 2023 at the 2023 World Championships in Valencia, Spain, Shaham won two team gold medals, one in the Group All-Around and one in the 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls.[6] Her teammates were Shani Bakanov, Eliza Banchuk, Adar Friedmann, Romi Paritzki, and Diana Svertsov.[1] It was Israel's first group rhythmic gymnastics World Championships gold medal.[1]

2024–present; Paris Olympics silver medal

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Shaham represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Women's rhythmic team all-around, in which Team Israel won the silver medal.[22][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Desiatnik, Shane (September 1, 2023). "Medal magic for Israel at world championships; the Israeli group held their nerve, and executed a stunning five hoops performance that earned them a PB high score of 38.150". The Australian Jewish News.
  2. ^ a b "כבוד מקומי: אופיר שחם מזיכרון יעקב תייצג את ישראל באליפות אירופה בהתעמלות אמנותית". מגדלור ניוז. May 18, 2022.
  3. ^ a b ברטל, ליאור (September 22, 2023). "תור הזהב של נבחרת ישראל בהתעמלות אמנותית: "סוד ההצלחה הוא שאנחנו חברות"". דבר העובדים בארץ ישראל.
  4. ^ a b c d "דייט עם אופיר שחם זוכת אליפות אירופה 2022 בהתעמלות אומנותית". גפן-מגזין המושבות (in Hebrew). June 22, 2022. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  5. ^ "כבוד מקומי: אופיר שחם, תייצג את ישראל באליפות אירופה בהתעמלות אמנותית שתתקיים בתל אביב ביוני". גפן-מגזין המושבות (in Hebrew). May 19, 2022. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "SHAHAM Ofir - FIG Athlete Profile". FIG.
  7. ^ "israeli gymnastics team wins historic gold medal at world championships". Africa Sport. August 26, 2023.
  8. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Athens 2022 - Results". the-sports.org. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  9. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Baku 2022 - Results". the-sports.org. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  10. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Pamplona 2022 - Results". the-sports.org. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Portimão 2022 - Results". the-sports.org. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  12. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Cluj-Napoca 2022 - Results". the-sports.org. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Yaniv Tochman (June 18, 2022). "16 year old Israeli wins gold medal in European gymnastics championship; The Israeli team also won a gold medal in the group competition, beating Italy and Azerbaijan". The Jerusalem Post.
  14. ^ "Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team takes gold at European Championships; Individually, its members also won in the multi-day competition". JNS. June 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Results for 38th European Championships TEL AVIV (ISR)". Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "39th FIG RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS; SOFIA (BUL), 14-18 September 2022". gym.longinestiming.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Michaelis, Lee (September 14, 2022). "European champion Darya Atamanov withdrew from the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships due to injury". Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Sofia 2023 - Results". the-sports.org. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Athens 2023 - Results". the-sports.org. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  20. ^ Stuart Winer (July 23, 2023). "Israel wins silver at rhythmic gymnastics world cup circuit meet; Daria Atamanov qualifies for finals in hoop and baton; Israelis fourth on medal table so far for 2023 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series". The Times of Israel.
  21. ^ Rakovsky, Ido (May 21, 2023). "Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team wins gold, 3 silvers, at European Championship in Baku; On top of women's team three medals, Israel's Adi Katz won the silver medal with her hoop routine on Saturday". Haaretz.
  22. ^ Jacob Gurvis (August 30, 2023). "Kibbitz: Israel Wins First-ever Gold Medals at Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships". Jewish Exponent.
  23. ^ Nadav Zenziper (August 10, 2024). "Lucky seven: Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team wins silver at Paris Olympics all-around final," Ynet.
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