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(TJV) Israeli athlete Asaf Yasur clinched a gold medal in taekwondo on Thursday, marking Israel’s first medal at the Paris Paralympics. Yasur triumphed over Turkish competitor Ali Can Ozcan with a 19-12 victory in the final of the 58-kilogram weight class in the K44 disability category.
Yasur dominated his earlier matches, winning his quarterfinal 23-6 and his semifinal 16-6.
The 22-year-old, who trains at the Sharabi Martial Arts club in Ramle, Israel, is a two-time world champion and is competing in his first Paralympics.
Yasur’s journey to success is remarkable, as he lost both hands at the age of 13 in an electrocution accident. Despite this, he went on to win the 2021 and 2023 World Para Taekwondo Championships, as well as the 2024 European Championships and a silver medal at the 2023 European Para Championships in the 58-kilogram class.
Entering the Paris Paralympics as the world’s top-ranked athlete in his category, Yasur is among 28 Israeli athletes competing, a group that includes returning medalists, an Oct. 7 survivor, a Druze athlete, and three Muslim athletes.
Yasur’s achievement brings Israel’s total Paralympic medal count to 385, dating back to the first Summer Paralympics in 1960
