Avishag Semberg retires from taekwondo at age 25

In depth

Taekwondo fighter and Olympic medalist Avishag Semberg announced her retirement at age 25, after winning a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and becoming the youngest Israeli to stand on the Olympic podium. In a media interview, Semberg revealed the heavy prices she paid, including mental exhaustion, frequent injuries and a strict diet that, according to Channel 14 now, she began at age 10. According to Arutz Sheva, Semberg has not competed at all since the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she was eliminated in the round of 16.

Semberg convened an official press conference at which she said goodbye to the sport in tears and stated that she had fulfilled all her dreams and was leaving from a place of pride. According to Channel 13 News, she explained that in recent times the difficulties had become no small challenge and her heart was no longer in it. The new retiree thanked her coach Yechiam Sharabi for the confidence and belief that everything is possible, and summed up a significant sporting journey.