Wrestler Ilana Kratysh (Photo: Facebook/Ilana Kratysh)
The 2016 Olympics in Rio are right around the corner – and Israel’s athletes are ready to bring home some medals and inspire younger generations to do the same.
Hoping to rebound from a lackluster showing in 2012, Israel will field its largest-ever Olympic delegation at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when the games kick off next month. The 48 qualifiers will compete in 16 sports, including Israel’s first Olympic entries in golf, triathlon and mountain biking.
Shahar Zubari [Windsurfer] is considered to have a good chance of placing in Rio, along with judoka Yarden Gerbi, wrestler Ilana Kratysh, and the rhythmic gymnastics team, which won the European championship in June.
“I feel good. I’ve been waiting all my life for this,” Kratysh said at a press event in Ramat Gan, outside Tel Aviv, on Tuesday. Kratysh became the first Israeli woman to qualify to wrestle in the Olympics when she won the World Qualification Tournament in Mongolia in April.
She says she feels it is especially important for her to inspire younger female athletes since she is alone in her field competing for Israel.
