Asaf Yasur (20), won the world para-taekwondo championships in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.
"It's hard for me to even describe how I feel," Yasur said in a conversation with Walla! sport from Turkey on Saturday night. "I'm happy. I'm excited. I know my family at home are excited through the roof."
"I know it's what it feels like [to inspire others] and it makes me feel very good. If someone can draw inspiration from me, it makes it even more special," he added.
Yasur, who lost both his hands after a terrible, life-threatening electrocution accident before his 13th birthday, defeated his Turkish opponent by 57-42 points and won the gold and title of champion for the Men’s under-58 kilogram weight category.
Yasur preceded from the semi-finals to finals after he defeated a Russian competitor 13-4. Previously, he had defeated opponents from India 32-0, Guatemala 30-0, and Mongolia 16-10.
In the Para-athletics, athletes compete according to a rating given for their levels of disability and weight, which is done impacted by factors such as amputation and range of motion. Yasur had a designation of K44, which according to the International Paralympic Committee "includes athletes with unilateral arm amputation (or equivalent loss of function), or loss of toes which impact the ability to lift the heel properly
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