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Alona Koshevatskiy

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01In brief

Alona Koshevatskiy (born October 8, 1997) is an Israeli rhythmic gymnast and coach who competed on Israel's national group team in the mid-2010s. She captained the group at the 2015 European Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics. In Rio, Israel finished sixth in the group all-around final, matching the country's best Olympic result in the event, set at Beijing 2008. After retiring from competition, Koshevatskiy joined Israel's rhythmic gymnastics coaching program; at the 2026 European Championships in Varna, she was among the coaches accompanying the individual squad.

02Early Career and International Breakthrough

Koshevatskiy emerged as a senior international competitor in 2014, when she was among the six members of Israel's rhythmic gymnastics group team that won silver in the clubs event at the World Championships in Izmir. The team scored 16.983 points, and the result was described as its best achievement to that point.[6]

Her profile as a senior team member continued to grow in 2015. At the European Games in Baku, she served as team captain alongside Yuval Filo, Ekaterina Levina, Karina Lykhvar, and Ida Mayrin.[2] Israel won silver in the group all-around final, scoring 17.700 in the clubs and hoops exercise and 17.350 in the ribbons exercise for a combined 35.050, behind Russia on 35.300 and ahead of Belarus on 34.850.[2] After the result, Koshevatskiy kept the achievement in perspective: "It's over, it's finished, we received a medal, and we need to continue training because we still have two more finals on Sunday," she said.[2] She added that the team focused on producing its best and cleanest performance rather than thinking about medals.[2]

03Road to Rio: European Championships and Olympic Qualification

At the 2016 European Championships in Holon, Koshevatskiy and her teammates won a historic gold medal in the clubs and hoops final.[4] The team also took silver in the ribbon routine and bronze in the all-around competition.[4]

Koshevatskiy was one of five group gymnasts listed in Israel's Rio Olympic delegation, alongside Yuval Filo, Ekaterina Levina, Karina Lykhvar, and Ida Mayrin; Neta Rivkin represented Israel in the individual event.[7] Israel's delegation comprised 48 qualifying athletes in 16 events and was described as the country's largest Olympic delegation at that time.[7]

In the Olympic qualification round in Rio, the team scored 17.250 in the five-ribbons routine and 17.633 in the hoops-and-clubs routine. Its combined score of 34.883 placed Israel sixth among 14 teams and secured a place in the eight-team final.[8]

042016 Rio Olympics

In the group all-around final on August 21, 2016, Israel finished sixth with a total score of 34.549, recording 17.166 in the five-ribbons routine and 17.383 in the three-clubs-and-two-hoops routine.[3] The result matched Israel's best Olympic finish in the event, equalling the sixth-place performance recorded at Beijing 2008.[4]

As team captain, Koshevatskiy was selected to carry Israel's flag at the closing ceremony. Reflecting on the experience afterward, she said: "I have no words to explain what we experienced here. We will never forget this experience. I'm proud of everything we achieved on our way to the Olympics and especially here in Rio."[3]

05Coaching and Legacy

Following her competitive career, Koshevatskiy joined Israel's rhythmic gymnastics coaching program. A report following the national team's World Championships achievements identified her and former teammate Ida Meirin among the assistant coaches working with head coach Ayelet Zussman and the wider staff.[9]

In November 2024, Koshevatskiy and Meirin were assigned to accompany Israel's individual rhythmic gymnasts in preparations for the Los Angeles Olympic Games as part of the program led by Zussman.[10]

At the 2026 European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria, Koshevatskiy and Meirin were listed among the coaches accompanying the individual squad, alongside Zussman and Julieta Cantaluppi.[5]

06Pre-Olympic Controversy

Before the Rio Olympics, the team faced turmoil following allegations that head coach Ira Vigdorchik kicked gymnast Ekaterina Levina during a preparation event; contemporary reports presented the episode as an allegation rather than an established fact.[11][4] A Ynet profile said the episode affected the team ahead of the Games, while a ONE retrospective described the squad as having undergone upheaval before its sixth-place Olympic finish.[11][4] Koshevatskiy later maintained that the controversy had not affected the team's performance and expressed pride in what the squad achieved in Rio.[3]

Sources

  1. 1Maariv, Rio profile, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  2. 2Sport5, Watch the achievement: Silver medal in rhythmic gymnastics, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  3. 3Jewish News, Olympic final result, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  4. 4ONE, Year of light: The great moments in sport - 5776, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  5. 5Sport5, The group team won bronze at the European Championships, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  6. 6ONE, To our health: 72 memorable moments in Israeli sport, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  7. 7Jewish Virtual Library, Jews in Sports: Israel at the 2016 Olympics, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  8. 8Sport5, The next target: a medal. The gymnastics team qualified for the final, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  9. 9Ynet, The rhythmic gymnastics team landed in Israel: 'We made history', accessed on September 24, 2026.
  10. 10Ynet, Exclusive | Three months after the Olympic silver: the rhythmic gymnastics team retires, accessed on September 24, 2026.
  11. 11Ynetnews, Meet Israel's most promising athletes for Rio 2016 Olympics, accessed on September 24, 2026.

IsraelPedia Question & Answers

  • Who is Alona Koshevatskiy?

    Alona Koshevatskiy (born October 8, 1997) is an Israeli rhythmic gymnast and coach who competed on Israel's national group team in the mid-2010s. She captained the group at the 2015 European Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics, and after retiring from competition she joined Israel's rhythmic gymnastics coaching program.

  • What did Israel's rhythmic gymnastics group team achieve at the 2014 World Championships?

    At the 2014 World Championships in Izmir, Israel's rhythmic gymnastics group team won silver in the clubs event, scoring 16.983 points. The result was described as the team's best achievement to that point, and Koshevatskiy was among the six team members who competed.

  • How did Israel's group team perform at the 2015 European Games in Baku?

    Israel won silver in the group all-around final at the 2015 European Games in Baku, scoring a combined 35.050 across the clubs and hoops exercise and the ribbons exercise. Russia finished first with 35.300, while Belarus placed third with 34.850. Koshevatskiy served as team captain alongside her four teammates.

  • What was Israel's result at the 2016 Rio Olympics in rhythmic gymnastics?

    Israel's group team finished sixth in the group all-around final at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a total score of 34.549, recording 17.166 in the five-ribbons routine and 17.383 in the three-clubs-and-two-hoops routine. The result matched Israel's best Olympic finish in the event, equalling the sixth-place performance recorded at Beijing 2008.

  • What role did Alona Koshevatskiy play at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony?

    As team captain, Alona Koshevatskiy was selected to carry Israel's flag at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

  • What controversy surrounded Israel's rhythmic gymnastics group team before the Rio Olympics?

    Before the Rio Olympics, the team faced turmoil following allegations that head coach Ira Vigdorchik kicked gymnast Ekaterina Levina during a preparation event; contemporary reports presented the episode as an allegation rather than an established fact. Koshevatskiy later maintained that the controversy had not affected the team's performance and expressed pride in what the squad achieved in Rio.

  • What has Alona Koshevatskiy done since retiring from competition?

    After retiring from competition, Alona Koshevatskiy joined Israel's rhythmic gymnastics coaching program, working alongside former teammate Ida Meirin under head coach Ayelet Zussman. In November 2024, she and Meirin were assigned to accompany Israel's individual rhythmic gymnasts in preparations for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, and at the 2026 European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria, she was listed among the coaches accompanying the individual squad.