The Shooting star award goes to … Linoy Ashram (ISR)!

At the conclusion of the 36^th Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Kyiv, Kamran Ramazanov, CEO of our global partner SmartScoring presented the SmartScoring Shooting star award to Israeli star Linoy Ashram.

Started in 2018, this award aims to put a gymnast with an exceptional story in the spotlight, someone who is an inspiration for the future generation of gymnasts and the general public alike.

Linoy has well and truly put Israel on the map in rhythmic gymnastics, starting in the juniors ranks and continuing in the senior competition, where, so far, she has won bronze all-around at both the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, upgrading to silver in 2018. At the 2019 European Games she placed second all-around and won 2 apparatus finals. Just minutes ago she became the first Israeli European all-around champion, and the first non-Russian to win since 1997.

The 21-year-old has collected a wealth of accolades: first Israeli to win an individual all-around medal at a World Championships, first Israeli to win gold in the all-around of the World Cup series, first Israeli to win gold at the Grand Prix final, first Israeli to win gold in a World Cup series apparatus final and the list goes on. She was named Female Athlete of the Year in three consecutive years from 2017-2019 by the Israeli Olympic Committee. Linoy hopes to become the first Israeli rhythmic gymnast to win an Olympic medal at the postponed Tokyo Olympics.

Linoy is a well-respected member of the rhythmic gymnastics community, leading by example for aspiring gymnasts all around the world and making her discipline even more popular in her native Israel.