Israel's national women's artistic gymnastics team finished 17th out of 32 competing nations in the qualification round of the European Championships in Zagreb, ONE reported, leaving the squad short of a direct route to this year's World Championships in Rotterdam.
The qualification round doubled as the all-around competition at Arena Zagreb, with the top 13 teams booking automatic team berths to the Worlds. Israel's combined score of 146.630 points left it well outside that cut-off, in the 36th edition of the European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Lihie Raz, Israel's most decorated gymnast, finished 32nd in the individual all-around with 48.966 points, built from 12.600 on vault, 11.466 on uneven bars, 12.600 on balance beam and 12.300 on floor.
Roni Shamai posted an all-around total of 47.732, also finishing outside the positions that mattered for Israel's hopes of a backdoor qualification route.
According to ONE, the federation had targeted at least one gymnast finishing inside the top individuals in the all-around, which would have secured Israel a group qualification criterion and opened a path to Rotterdam even without a top-13 team finish. Neither Raz nor Shamai got close enough, and that route is now closed.
Raz, 21, remains the benchmark for Israeli artistic gymnastics after becoming the country's first-ever medallist at the European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships, taking floor bronze in 2020. Her continued presence in finals at major championships has been central to the sport's rising profile in Israel.
Shamai, 17 and affiliated with Bnei Herzliya, has been one of the squad's fastest-improving members this year, having won gold on uneven bars at the Challenge Cup meet in Bulgaria in May and reached three individual finals there.
The result means Israel will need another route back onto the continental and world stage, with the next major qualification opportunities not expected until later in the cycle.
