Olympic Taekwondo Medalist Avishag Semberg Retires at 25

Olympic taekwondo fighter Avishag Semberg has announced her retirement from competitive sport at the age of 25. A joint press conference with the Israel Taekwondo Association and the Olympic Committee of Israel is scheduled for Monday to officially announce her departure and summarize a remarkable career.

Semberg, a native of Gedera, captured the public imagination at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. Competing in the under-49 kg weight category, she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Israeli female athlete to win an Olympic medal in taekwondo, as well as the youngest Olympic medalist in the country's history at just 19 years old.

Beyond her Olympic success, Semberg boasts an impressive international record, having been crowned European senior champion in 2020, claiming a silver medal at the 2022 European Championships, and earning bronze medals at the World Junior and U21 European Championships.

She represented Israel for a second time at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she faced professional disappointment after being eliminated in the round of 16, an emotional moment that culminated in a tearful post-match interview.

In an interview with La'isha magazine, Semberg explained her definitive decision to step away from the sport: "I am no longer going to compete. I am an all-or-nothing person. Some athletes retire and continue participating recreationally, but I am not there. I am leaving the sport entirely. I have reached a sense of closure with this entire journey and I am leaving it behind." Outside of her athletic career, Semberg married fellow taekwondo fighter Nimrod Krivitsky in Rehovot, followed by a brief hospitalization due to severe dehydration and exhaustion. She also expanded her public profile by competing on the popular reality show "Dancing with the Stars".