Taekwondo Olympic medalist Abishag Semberg was left in tears after her defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Abutaleb in the women’s flyweight round of 16 in Paris on Wednesday.
Abutaleb, the first Saudi woman to secure direct Olympic qualification, triumphed with scores of 2-6, 5-4 and 10-0. She sealed her victory with two head kicks and two body kicks in the decisive third round.
Both fighters received enthusiastic support from their fans in the stands, with some cheering sections positioned side by side.
"I'm very disappointed in myself; this is not where I'm supposed to be. I’m supposed to be much better," a tearful Semberg, speaking in Hebrew, told reporters.
"I've been working my ass off all my life for this."
Semberg said the defeat was particularly upsetting because of how important it was for her to represent Israel on the sport's biggest stage.
"This is one of the most important things for me in my life," the 22-year-old said. "This is very disappointing for me. This is not my level. My family is here as well; it’s very disappointing."
Semberg also lost in the round of 16 in Tokyo three years ago but fought her way through the repechage to win bronze, the first medal won by Israel in taekwondo.
Asked if she could achieve the same in Paris, she said: "No, I don't think so."
Semberg was the only taekwondo athlete from Israel in Paris. The country has been involved in conflict with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza since last October.
Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, labeling them "inhumane" and accusing Israel of committing "continuous genocidal massacres" against the Palestinian population.
