Israeli athlete Elizabeth Kovalev won a gold medal Sunday at the 2021 World Youth and Junior Sambo Championship held in Thessaloniki, Greece.
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The seventeen-year-old athlete – from Rishon LeZion – competed in the 72-kilogram weight division. On her way to victory, she defeated France's Leroy Clara, Greece's Malina Canopolo, Ukraine's Shimko Yana, and Russia's Anastasia Konopleva.
"We are thrilled and proud of this achievement," Kovalev's coach, Pavel Musin, said. "Israel is already considered a leading nation in Sambo. I hope we will continue to bring more success and pride to our country with our wonderful athletes and team." Musin is also the vice-president of the Israel Sambo Federation.
Sambo is a Soviet martial art that was developed in the 1920s by the military to improve the hand-to-hand combat abilities of its servicemen.
"Israeli Sambo continues to develop and bring impressive achievements," said Arik Kaplan, president of the Ayelet Federation of non-Olympic Sports. "And we are especially proud of Elizabeth's achievement and professional skills demonstrated at the World Championship. We look forward to more such successes in the future."
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