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The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Saturday expressed its outrage at the “injustice” of the gold medal won by Israeli Linoy Ashram in the individual rhythmic gymnastics Olympic final, edging out three-time world champion Dina Averina to end two decades of Russian rule.
“The whole world has seen this injustice”, tweeted the ROC. The same account then released a statement from Averina which said, in part, “My conscience is clear, I still believe I won.”
Ashram, 22, led the final for the first three rounds with almost flawless performances and hung on despite an error in her closing tape routine to win with 107.800 points in total, just 0.150 ahead of Averina.
Averina must have scored at least 24.15 points for her ribbon routine, but despite what the Russians called an “excellent” performance, she scored 24 points and finished in second place.
“This is what I have dreamed of all my life,” Ashram said after his victory. “It is an incredible feeling to be standing in this place, right now, on the podium and in the first place,” said the gymnast who has now been chosen to carry the flag at the closing ceremony.
“It’s a crazy experience that I haven’t fully digested yet,” Ashram said.
The ROC team filed multiple scoring inquiries, including for the ribbon routine, but the points were maintained. Subsequently, Averina, the silver medalist, lambasted the judges.
“I don’t think it was fair today and it was obvious from the very first gear when… I got a lower score so I can’t say it was very fair,” Averina said. , which heals a back. injury since last year.
Russia’s Dina Averina competes in the individual all-around final of the rhythmic gymnastics event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo on August 7, 2021 (Lionel Bonaventure / AFP)
“I can’t spot any obvious mistakes I made. I was fairly consistent and clean compared to Linoy who lost the apparatus, ”said Averina.
She said she and her sister would likely retire before the Paris 2024 Games
“I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m a little upset,” Averina tearfully told reporters.
Unsurprisingly, Ashram had no qualms with the judges.
“The judgment was very good. We have no problem, ”she said. “I just focus on myself. I worked so hard for it.
Israeli Linoy Ashram competes in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo on August 7, 2021 (Martin Bureau / AFP)
The ashram led the first three rotations. A dazzling performance from the clubs, who scored 28.650 points, was the highlight.
But she gave Averina a chance to overhaul it with a drop in the ribbon, potentially costing her a whole point.
Israeli Linoy Ashram misses the ribbon as she competes in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo on August 7, 2021 (Martin Bureau / AFP)
Averina produced a clean routine, before an agonizing wait as the judges absolutely made sure of the score.
Averina was deemed to be just short, with the Ashram later confirmed as champion after the latest Russian inquiry request.
Ashram teammates and Israeli media in the otherwise mostly empty stands celebrated, while the devastated Averina burst into tears.
Dina Averina of the Russian Olympic Committee reacts after seeing her final score in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Final at the 2020 Summer Olympics on August 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan (AP Photo / Ashley Landis )
The Ashram medal was Israel’s fourth in Tokyo and its second gold at these Olympics. She is the first Israeli to win the first medal.
She was visibly moved when the Israeli national anthem, Hatikva, rang through the gymnastics center as the flag was hoisted after the victory.
It was the first time a Russian gymnast had failed to win the event since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and it was arguably one of the biggest upheavals in the history of the sport.
Russian gymnasts have also won 12 of the last 14 world championships in the all-around. One of the two times they missed was in 2001, when Alina Kabaeva was stripped of her title after testing positive for a banned diuretic.
The 2018 world all-around silver medalist Israel’s Ashram was not to beat identical twins Dina and Arina Averina.
Russia’s Dina Averina (L) reacts next to her sister Arina Averina at the end of the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo, August 7, 2021. (Lionel Bonaventure / AFP)
Between them, the twins had won all the major all-around championships they had competed for since the Rio 2016 Olympics.
They also finished first and second in Friday’s qualifying, with Ashram third after feeling his hoop.
Arina, the oldest of the 20-minute pair, completely missed the podium as a knot in her ribbon saw Belarusian Alina Harnasko take bronze with 102.700 points.
Ashram has participated in international competitions since 2014. She now has 92 medals from various international competitions to her credit.
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