The Israel national team finished the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Groups All-Around final in an impressive fifth place in Izmir, Turkey on Saturday.
Yuval Filo, Alona Koshevatskiy, Ekaterina Levina, Karina Lykhvar, Ida Mayrin and Lihi Shochatovitch recorded a combined result of 33.766 points in Saturday’s final. The team won an historic bronze medal in the all-around final at the European Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan earlier this year and looks to be well placed to at least emulate the blue-and-white’s previous accomplishments at the Olympic Games.
The Israel roster was rebuilt at the start of the year with the goal of reaching the Olympics for a third straight time in Rio 2016. The previous national teams advanced to the final both in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Israel registered a score of 16.800 points in the 10 clubs event and 16.966 in the three balls and two ribbons competition, booking its place in both finals, which will take place in the final day of the championships on Sunday.
Israel’s Neta Rivkin shined in the Individual All-Around final on Friday, finishing in ninth place with a score of 68.683.
Rivkin also reached three individual finals in Izmir, ending the hoop final in sixth place, the ribbon in seventh and the ball in eighth.
Israel’s Victoria Veinberg Filanovsky finished the all-around competition in 12th place.