The ongoing world weightlifting championships in Riyadh will go down in history regardless of the sporting results
The world weightlifting championships taking place in Riyadh will go down in history, regardless of sporting results, as for the first time an Olympic athlete representing Israel will perform in Saudi Arabia.
The two countries do not maintain diplomatic relations, but informal contacts between the countries have become closer in recent years due to threats from Iran and US diplomatic activities.
The first to stand on the bridge in Riyadh on Tuesday were Celia Gold and Nikol Rubanovich in the 71 kg category, and the following day Artur Mugurdumov (102 kg) and David Litvinov (+109 kg) will compete.
The President of the Israel Weightlifting Federation, Oren Shai, emphasized that the hosts provide the highest security measures to the entire team, and flying the Israeli flag among the participating countries of the World Championships is a great thing for his country – writes insidethegames.biz.
The two countries’ diplomatic and security forces spent eight days determining details of the arrival and stay of the Israeli team and two coaches in Riyadh.
The president of the IWF world federation, Iraq’s Mohammed Jalood, said: “What happened (the performance of athletes from Israel – PAP) shows that the weightlifting “family” is strong and united. Sport goes beyond politics.”
The World Championships are the most important qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. There are 719 participants (354 men and 365 male players) from 117 countries. Poland was represented by five female players and as many men.
KN, PAP
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