A Ukrainian-born track-and-field athlete is one of Israel’s greatest hopes for for winning an Olympic medal in Rio.
Israeli track-and-field athlete Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko, 26, won a silver medal at the women’s triple jump on Sunday, during the European Athletics Championship in The Netherlands.
The Ukrainian-born Knyazyeva-Minenko jumped 14.51 meters during the women’s triple jump finals on Sunday evening, putting Israel in second place. Patrícia Mamona of Portugal won the gold medal with a jump of 14.58 meters.
The Olympic Committee of Israel considers Knyazyeva-Minenko Israel’s highest-ranking athlete. In addition to her newly-won silver medal, she holds the second-highest world record after having won the silver medal in the Athletics World Championship games in Beijing in 2015. She won the bronze medal during the European Games in Baku that same year.
Knyazyeva-Minenko previously competed for Ukraine at the 2012 Olympics Games in London, coming in fourth place in the women’s triple jump event with a jump of 14.56 meters. She moved to Israel and took Israeli citizenship in 2013. Since then she has represented Israel, and will be competing in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
A spokesperson of the Israel Olympic Committee said, “Hanna is one of Israel’s greatest hopes for winning an Olympic medal in Rio.”
By: Michael Zeff/TPS