Israeli Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat wins 3rd European gymnastics title

Israeli Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat won his third European championship title on Friday, taking gold in the floor exercise at the European Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Representing the Israeli club team Maccabi Tel Aviv, the 29-year-old gymnast scored 14.466 points to take the gold medal. Arsenii Dukhno of World Gymnastics 2 won silver with 14.333 points, while British gymnast Harry Hepworth took bronze with 14.300 points.

The Israeli national anthem, Hatikva, was played as Dolgopyat took the podium following his victory.

Israel Gymnastics Federation chairman Avi Sagi praised the Israeli gymnast for his latest achievement.

"Artem once again proves that he is made of the stuff of great champions," Sagi said in an official statement. He praised Dolgopyat’s "extraordinary talent, determination and hard work." Sagi concluded by labeling the European gold medal "another great and moving moment for Israeli gymnastics and Israeli sport."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also released a congratulatory message following Dolgopyat’s victory.

“Congratulations to the three-time European [Gymnastics Championship] floor exercise champion, Artem Dolgopyat,” Netanyahu stated. “Artem, you bring immense honor and national pride to the State of Israel, time and time again."

Born in Ukraine, Dolgopyat has already established himself as one of the most accomplished athletes in Israeli sports history. He made history by winning the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, becoming only the second Israeli athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.

After his historic Olympic victory, Dolgopyat admitted that he did not believe his performance had been his best.

“My floor exercise was not the best – in the qualifiers I did better,” he assessed.

“I was very stressed that it would not even be enough for a medal, but everyone [the other finalists] was excited and made mistakes and that was enough for me, and I am very happy,” he continued.

Dolgopyat also won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. His latest European title follows a strong 2026 season. In February, he won gold at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Germany, and in April he took another gold in the floor exercise at the Osijek World Cup in Croatia.

Beyond his achievements in gymnastics, Dolgopyat has also publicly demonstrated his support for Israel during the war against Hamas.

Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Dolgopyat decided to sell his World Championship gold medal and donate the proceeds to Israeli communities near the Gaza border that were devastated during the Hamas atrocities.

He said the decision reflected his strong identification with the Jewish state, which he credited with giving him a new life and the opportunity to succeed.

"What is a world champion worth if my country is hurting? For me, the State of Israel comes first," Dologopyat explained at the time.

"I'm parting with the medal without pain but with a lot of emotion. It is a precious medal,” he continued.

"Today I know that Israeli society is important beyond anything else. I won’t lie, it’s not easy for me, but I feel that through the auctioning of the medal, I can truly give back to the country that has given me so much," he concluded.

Dolgopyat has also faced discrimination as an Israeli athlete. In 2025, Indonesian authorities refused to grant him a visa to compete at the World Championships hosted by the Asian Muslim-majority country.

Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has strongly criticized Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. The decision prevented Dolgopyat from defending his world title.

His latest European championship therefore adds another international achievement to the record of an athlete who has become a prominent representative of Israeli sports both on and off the competition floor.