Anya Gostomelsky

(1981 - )

Anya Gostomelsky was born in Russia on June 6, 1981. At the age of 23, Anya is a top swimming prospect in the 100-meter backstroke, however she is considered a long term investment rather then an immediate medal prospect.

Anya qualified for the European Championship final in the 100-meter backstroke in 2004. She showed great poise in the final swim, held in Madrid as she came in seventh and broke her own personal record at 1:03.05. In the pre-Olympic Acropolis meet in Athens, Gostomelsky finished fifth in the 50-meter freestyle event, equalizing her own Israeli record of 2:06:33. On July 29, 2004, she competed in the Israeli National Championships and won first place in the 100-meter freestyle swim and second in the 50-meter freestyle. Gostomelsky did not achieve the Olympic qualification time set by the Israeli Olympic Committee for the 2004 Athens Games, but her outstanding form in the last year before the games was impossible to ignore. The Committee considered her case and made an exception in order to further develop her obvious potential.

Gostomelsky represented Israel in the 2004 Olympic swimming team. On August 15, Anya swam in heat 3 of the 100-meter backstroke event. The Israeli managed a time of 1:04.06, which is more then a second over her personal record. Gostomelsky placed fifth in her heat and 26th overall, thus she was eliminated for failing to break the top 16. Anya did not fare better in the 100-meter freestyle event. Swimming in heat 4 on August 18, (57.15) she finished 7th in her heat and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Her time was almost an entire second over her personal best time of 56.27. The Israeli failed to make the semifinal in the 50-meter freestyle event, which is her weakest Olympic event. Swimming in the sixth heat, Anya finished 3rd (26.72) and placed 35th out of 75 contestants.

She swims for Maccabi Haifa.

Sources: Jews In Sports