Gymnast Artem Dolgopyat Wins Floor Exercise To Give Israel Its 2nd Olympic Gold Medal Ever

It was also the first medal of any kind in gymnastics for the country.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Artem Dolgopyat won Israel’s first-ever Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics. Dolgopyat captured gold in the men’s floor exercise by edging Rayderley Zapata of Spain on a tiebreak.

TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Artem Dolgopyat of Team Israel competes in the Men's Floor Exercise Final on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 01, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Artem Dolgopyat of Team Israel competes in the Men's Floor Exercise Final on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on August 01, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Laurence Griffiths via Getty Images

Dolgopyat and Zapata were both awarded a score of 14.933 during the event finals. They both had matching execution scores during their routines. Dolgopyat earned the gold because his set was slightly more difficult than Zapata’s.

Israel's Artem Dolgopyat competes in the floor event of the artistic gymnastics men's floor exercise final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on August 1, 2021. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Israel's Artem Dolgopyat competes in the floor event of the artistic gymnastics men's floor exercise final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo on August 1, 2021. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
LOIC VENANCE via Getty Images

Xiao Ruoteng of China earned the bronze for his third medal in Tokyo. Ruoteng took silver in the men’s all-around and won a bronze during the team event last week.

The gold medal is just the second for Israel in any Olympic event. Gal Fridman won a gold in men’s sailboard at the 2004 Athens Games.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot