In a stunning turn of events at the Grand Palais in Paris, Israel's Olympic bronze medalist Avishag Semberg suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia's Dunya Abutaleb in the women's under-49kg taekwondo competition.
Semberg, who clinched bronze in Tokyo, saw her hopes for gold dashed in the round of 16. However, her Olympic dream isn't completely extinguished — she could still compete in the repechage round if Abutaleb advances to the final.
Abutaleb's victory is doubly significant, as she made history by becoming the first Saudi woman to directly qualify for the Olympics. Despite this achievement, she remains an underdog in the competition.
Stay tuned for updates on Semberg's potential repechage opportunity.
* The Times of Israel contributed to this report.
