Anastasia Gorbenko

Gorbenko was born in Haifa to parents who had immigrated from Ukraine.[6] Her family later moved to Kiryat Bialik, where she joined the local Maccabi sports club.[7] Her father, Vladimir, recalled that she began swimming while also practicing rhythmic gymnastics.[8]

After a break from swimming, she returned to the pool and eventually trained exclusively with Maccabi Kiryat Bialik.[8] She chose to concentrate on swimming at age 12.[6] Her parents emphasized that the choice was her own.[8] In 2017, she began attending the Wingate Institute, combining training with her studies.[7]

Before her senior international career, Gorbenko won two gold medals at the Maccabiah Games and a silver medal at the Summer Youth Festival.[7] At the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, she won the 200-meter individual medley.[9] She followed that success with two silver medals at the 2019 European Junior Championships.[9]

At age 17, Gorbenko won the 200-meter individual medley at the 2021 European Championships in Budapest, setting an Israeli record of 2:09.99.[9] The victory made her the first Israeli woman to win a European swimming title in an Olympic event.[9] She defeated Britain’s Abbie Wood by four hundredths of a second and finished ahead of Olympic champion Katinka Hosszú.[9]

Gorbenko qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at age 17 and was scheduled to compete in four events: the women’s 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter breaststroke, and 200-meter individual medley.[7] She was the only Israeli swimmer scheduled to enter four categories at those Games.[7] Although designated Tokyo 2020, the Olympics took place from July 23 to August 8, 2021, following postponement because of the coronavirus pandemic.[1]

In Tokyo, Gorbenko became the first Israeli woman swimmer to reach an Olympic final.[6] She set an Israeli record of 59.30 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke semifinal, then finished eighth in the final in 59.53.[6] In the 200-meter individual medley, she placed tenth overall, missing a place in the final by 0.11 seconds.[6]

In December 2021, Gorbenko won two gold medals at the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first Israeli to win gold at that competition.[4] Her first title came in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke; she then won the 100-meter individual medley in a personal-best 57.80 seconds.[4] After her second victory, she said: “I came to have fun with my friends and do the best I can.”[4]

On August 16, 2022, Gorbenko retained her European 200-meter individual medley title in Rome, winning in 2:10.92.[10] She led from the first 50 meters and finished ahead of Marit Steenbergen of the Netherlands and Sara Franceschi of Italy.[10]

Gorbenko said that the 2022 season had been mentally difficult and that retaining her European title had been a specific goal.[10] The victory followed her 2021 title in Hungary and her two short-course world titles in Abu Dhabi.[10]

At the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February 2024, Gorbenko won silver in the women’s 400-meter individual medley in 4:37.36, setting an Israeli record.[3] She led for much of the race and finished 0.24 seconds behind Britain’s Freya Colbert.[11] The result was Israel’s first medal at the World Swimming Championships, distinct from Gorbenko’s earlier victories at the World Short Course Championships.[3][4] She also placed fourth in the 200-meter individual medley and became the first Israeli to reach four individual-event finals at the World Championships.[3]

Gorbenko dedicated the silver medal to her former schoolmate Matan Angrest, who had been taken hostage on October 7, 2023.[12] They had spent three years together in a sports class at Afek middle school in Kiryat Bialik, where he played basketball and she swam.[13] In her post-race interview, she said: “It is so meaningful for me to be here with the flag of my country.”[3]

At the 2024 European Championships in Belgrade, Gorbenko won the 400-meter individual medley in 4:36.05 after qualifying fourth for the final in 4:43.84.[14] It was her first European title in that event.[14] Afterward, she said she had felt pressure near the end of the race and believed she still had room to improve.[15]

She also won the 200-meter individual medley in 2:09.75, with fellow Israeli Lea Polonsky taking silver in 2:11.18.[5] Gorbenko contributed to gold-medal teams in the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay and the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay, bringing her total at the championships to four gold medals.[5][14]

Gorbenko returned to the Olympic Games as a member of Israel’s swimming delegation in Paris in 2024.[2] She finished tenth overall in the women’s 400-meter individual medley and did not advance to the final.[16] She had withdrawn from the 100-meter breaststroke semifinal to conserve energy for the 400-meter event.[16] Afterward, she expressed disappointment and said changes to her backstroke training had affected her energy during the final 200 meters.[16]

She also finished ninth in the 200-meter individual medley semifinals, becoming the first reserve, but did not swim in the final following another swimmer’s withdrawal.[17] Gorbenko did not compete in an Olympic final in Paris.[17]

By September 2026, Gorbenko was preparing for her second season with the University of Louisville in Kentucky and had been named captain of its 23-swimmer women’s team.[18] At a collegiate meet in November 2026, she won the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.09 seconds, the 200-yard breaststroke, and the 100-yard individual medley in 51.80 seconds; Louisville finished second overall.[19]

Gorbenko’s international results established several firsts for Israeli women’s swimming: a European title in an Olympic event in 2021 and an appearance in an Olympic swimming final later that year.[9][6] Her two Abu Dhabi victories also made her the first Israeli gold medalist at the World Short Course Championships.[4]

Her 2024 Doha silver extended those achievements to Israel’s first medal at the World Swimming Championships.[3] At the European Championships that year, her four gold medals encompassed both individual medley distances and two relay events.[5][14]

Sections of the crowd booed and heckled Gorbenko after her silver-medal finish in Doha and again at the medal ceremony, where there was also applause.[20] She said the jeering had affected her emotionally during the week, but that she felt safe in Qatar and would not hesitate to compete in Arab countries again.[20] Responding to the hostility, she said: “I’m here to represent my country… And I’m doing this with the Israeli flag and I’m proud of that. And whoever doesn’t like it, it’s just not my problem.”[20]

A separate dispute followed the Paris 200-meter individual medley semifinals.[17] After an Australian swimmer withdrew, Gorbenko said she had had an opportunity to enter the final as first reserve, but that the professional staff’s decision had prevented her participation.[17] The swimming association chair said she understood the coaches’ decision not to send Gorbenko to the pool as a reserve, while stating that reserve swimmers should be present in the arena in future.[17]