Linoy Ashram


Linoy Ashram is an Israeli individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2017 World All-around bronze medalist, the 2018 World All-around silver medalist, and the 2019 European Games All-around silver medalist.

Biography

Ashram was born in Rishon LeZion, Israel, to a family of both Mizrahi Jewish and Sephardic Jewish descent. Her father is a standing army soldier, whereas her mother is a kindergarten teacher assistant.
In November 2017, at the age of 18, Ashram was enlisted to the Israel Defense Forces as a soldier.
As of 2018, she resides in Rishon LeZion.

Sports career

Junior

Ashram appeared in international competitions in 2011. In 2014, Ashram started her season competing in the 2014 Miss Valentine Cup in Tartu, Estonia, then in the junior division at the 2014 Moscow Grand Prix where she finished 9th in the all-around; following her placement she earned a qualification for Israel to compete for the Youth Olympic Games. Ashram competed in the World Cup series Pesaro, and in Tashkent where she won silver medal in clubs and hoop. In her next event at the Minsk World Cup, she took silver for Team Israel and finished 4th in the all-event finals.
In June 10–16, 2014, Ashram competed at the 2014 European Junior Championships and qualified to all four event finals, taking the bronze medal in clubs and ribbon, placing 4th in ball, and 5th in hoop. Ashram then competed at the World Cup in Sofia, where she finished 4th in all-around. Ashram went on to represent Israel at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, where she finished 5th in all-around finals behind Romania's Ana Luiza Filiorianu. She was the flag bearer of the closing ceremony in the Youth Olympic Games. In November, Ashram won the all-around gold at the 2014 JGP Final in Innsbruck, Austria, ahead of Moldova's Nicoleta Dulgheru.

Senior

2015

In the 2015 season, Ashram debuted as a senior competing in the international tournament at the 2015 Moscow Grand Prix, finishing 4th in the all-around. On May 15–16, Ashram competed at the 2015 Holon Grand Prix, finishing 11th in all-around. In August, Ashram competed at the MTK Budapest Cup, finishing 5th in the all-around and qualifying to three apparatus finals. She won the all-around bronze at the Yoldyz Cup International in Kazan, Russia. In September 9–13, Ashram competed at the 2015 World Championships in Stuttgart, with Team Israel finishing 4th. On October 16–18, Ashram competed at the 2015 Grand Prix Final in Brno, where she won the all-around silver medal with a total of 70.000 points. She qualified to all apparatus finals, taking silver in hoop, ball, and in the last two apparatus, due to Margarita Mamun's withdrawal in the last two events, Ashram won gold in clubs and another silver in ribbon behind Uzbekistani Anastasiya Serdyukova. Ashram became the second-youngest Grand Prix Final medalist since Yanina Batyrchina. In November, Ashram won the all-around gold at the 2015 Happy Cup in Asker, Norway, ahead of Moldova's Nicoleta Dulgheru.

2016

Ashram began her season competing at the 2016 Grand Prix Moscow, finishing 16th in the all-around and qualifying for the hoop, ball, and ribbon finals. On March 12–13, Ashram competed at the MTM Tournament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where she won the all-around bronze with a total of 71.350 points, in the apparatus finals; she won bronze in hoop, ribbon placed 4th in ball and 7th in clubs. At the 30th Thiais Grand Prix event in Paris, Ashram finished 8th in the all-around with a total of 71.100 points; she qualified for three apparatus finals. On April 1–3, Ashram then competed at the 2016 Pesaro World Cup, where she finished 9th in the all-around and qualified for the ribbon final, placing 8th. She won the all-around silver medal at the 2016 Israeli Championships behind Victoria Veinberg Filanovsky. On May 13–15, Ashram competed at the 2016 Tashkent World Cup, where she won bronze in the all-around edging out teammate Neta Rivkin, Ashram qualified for all four apparatus finals: winning bronze in ball, 4th in hoop and clubs, and 6th in ribbon. On May 27–29, Ashram finished 7th in the all-around at the 2016 Sofia World Cup, with a total of 70.800 points; she qualified in hoop, ball and ribbon finals. On June 17–19, Ashram competed at the 2016 European Championships where she finished in 8th place with a total of 72.074 points. On September 23–24, Ashram culminated her season with her competition at the 2016 Grand Prix Final in Eilat, where she finished 4th in the all-around with a total of 72.850 points behind Russian Arina Averina. She qualified for all the apparatus finals; winning a bronze in clubs, placed 4th in hoop and ball, and 5th in ribbon.

2017

Ashram competed at the 2017 Grand Prix Moscow, finishing 6th in the all-around and qualifying for all the apparatus finals; she won bronze in clubs, placed 4th in ball, and 5th in hoop and ribbon. She then competed at the 2017 Tashkent World Cup, finishing 8th in the all-around and qualified for three apparatus finals, taking bronze in hoop, and finishing 6th in ball and 5th in clubs. On May 5–7, Ashram competed at the 2017 Sofia World Cup, and took bronze in the all-around with a total of 70.300 points; she qualified for all the apparatus finals and won silver in hoop, bronze in clubs, and placed 4th in ribbon and 8th in ball. On May 19–21, Ashram together with teammate Victoria Veinberg Filanovsky represented the individual senior for Israel at the 2017 European Championships; she qualified for all the apparatus finals and won bronze medals in clubs, and finished 5th in ball and 6th in ribbon. At the 2017 Maccabiah Games, she won all five gold medals. Ashram competed at the quadrennial-held 2017 World Games in Wrocław, Poland, from July 20–30; she qualified for all the apparatus finals, winning a silver medal in clubs ahead of Arina Averina, a bronze in hoop behind Russian Dina Averina, and finished 8th in ball and 6th in ribbon. On August 11–13, Ashram competed at the 2017 Kazan World Challenge Cup, and finished 4th in the all-around behind Katsiaryna Halkina; she qualified in all the apparatus finals and won four bronze medals, in hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. On August 30 - September 3, at the 2017 World Championships in Pesaro, Italy, she qualified in three apparatus finals, finishing 6th in hoop, 4th in ball, and winning bronze in ribbon. In the all-around, Ashram made history by becoming the first Israeli rhythmic gymnast to podium in the all-around by winning bronze at the Worlds; previously Neta Rivkin was the only Israeli to win a medal, but it was in an apparatus final.

2018

on March 30–April 1, Ashram's season began with a competition at the 2018 Sofia World Cup finishing with a bronze medal in the all-around, in the event finals, she won her first World Cup gold with ribbon, and finishing 4th in ball, clubs and 8th with hoop. On April 13–15, Ashram won the bronze medal in the all-around at the 2018 Pesaro World Cup, she qualified to all apparatus finals; she won the gold with clubs, silver with ball, placed 5th in hoop and ribbon. On April 20–22, at the 2018 Tashkent World Cup, Ashram won silver in the all-around behind Aleksandra Soldatova, she qualified in all event finals taking silver in hoop, ball, ribbon and a bronze in clubs. She was the overall 2018 World Cup Series all-around winner based on her results in Sofia, Pesaro, and Tashkent. On May 4–6, Ashram won her first gold medal in all-around at the 2018 Guadalajara World Cup edging out Russians Aleksandra Soldatova and Arina Averina, in the apparatus finals: she took gold in ball, earned silver with hoop and ribbon and finished 6th in clubs.

2019

Ashram did not take part in the European Championships due to an injury. In June 2019, Ashram competed at the European Games, winning gold in ball and clubs, and silver in ribbon and all-around.
She finally competed at the 2019 World Championships, her most successful. She helped Israeli team to win its first silver team medal; she win a bronze with ball and in the All-Around and silver with hoop, clubs and ribbon.

Gymnastics technique

Ashram is known for her powerful jumps and high leaps, and unlike most rhythmic gymnasts she executes back spiral variations in a reverse direction. Her signature skill is the back-bend turn on floor with help - also known as the "Ashram".

Awards and recognition