By Riley Overend on SwimSwam
Israel is sending three swimmers to the 2024 World Championships after previously expressing doubts about their safety next month in Doha, Qatar.
Although the Israel Swimming Association (ISA) had security questions about swimmers traveling to an allied country of Hamas, the Israeli Security Service (Shin Bet) has apparently deemed the trip safe, though they declined to comment. Late last year, the ISA said it was unlikely to send a team to Doha.
Anastasia Gorbenko, a two-time world champion in SCM (50 breast and 100 IM) will be on the hunt for her first LCM Worlds medal in Doha. She placed 5th in the 200 IM (2:10.08) last year in Fukuoka, but there is a clear pathway to the podium with 2nd-place finisher Alex Walsh and 4th-place finisher Jenna Forrester absent from this year’s competition. Gorbenko is also entered in the 200 free, 200 back, 100 breast, and 400 IM along with her 200 IM specialty.
Louisville commit Daria Golovaty, 18, will contest the women’s 100 free, 200 free, and 400 free at her third World Championships. She placed 27th in both the 200 free (1:59.77) and 400 free (4:14.33) at Worlds last year.
Louisville junior Denis Loktev rounds out Israel’s team with entries in the men’s 100 free and 200 free. Last year, he placed 21st in the 200 free (1:47.08) in Fukuoka.
With just three swimmers headed to Doha, Israel will not be contesting any relays at the 2024 World Championships. The top three relays from 2023 Worlds and the 13 next-fastest relays from the combined 2023 and 2024 World Championships will receive Olympic invites to Paris this summer.
The Israeli men’s 400 free relay has their Olympic berth all but locked up after a 7th-place finish in Fukuoka, and both 800 free relays are in a solid spot after 10th-place showings last year. But Israel’s mixed medley relay is right on the edge of qualification following a 15th-place effort in Fukuoka, and both the men’s and women’s 400 medley relays are on the outside looking in at the moment.
Although the U.S. is sending just 20 swimmers to Doha and many big names are skipping the meet to focus on the Paris 2024 Olympics, World Aquatics is projecting the biggest field in World Championship history next month in Qatar.
Qatar has long provided financial support and political refuge for Hamas, the organization that killed 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages during a brutal attack on October 7. Israel has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since then, an unrelenting response that has led to a genocide case in the International Court of Justice.
Qatar says its affiliation with Hamas allows the country to maintain some political influence, which it has demonstrated in the last few months by negotiating the release of hostages.
SwimSwam: Israel Sending 3 Swimmers to World Championships in Qatar Despite Ties to Hamas
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