Israeli gymnastics world champion auctions gold medal won in Antwerp

Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat will auction the gold medal he won at the World Championships in Antwerp's Sportpaleis for charity, he announced on Monday.

Dolgopyat, 26, won gold in the floor final on 7 October. The same day, Hamas launched a major attack on Israel. Dolgopyat wants to use the proceeds from the auction to help his fellow countrymen near the Gaza border.

"What is my world title worth if my country is suffering? For me, Israel comes first," he wrote in a post on Instagram.

Dolgopyat, who was born in Ukraine, is also the reigning Olympic floor champion.

^{Artem Dolgopyat after winning the men's floor final at the Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp © PHOTO LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP}