\nThis is not Yonatan\u2019s first time on the podium. In 2022, he won a silver medal in the 1,500-meter event as a cadet, and in 2023 he won both the 1,500 and 800 meters. “This current win is very emotional. It shows that hard work really pays off, that I can bring out the best in myself when it matters most, and prove what I\u2019m capable of.”<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-28-at-12.46.59-e1753696787392-1024x594.jpeg.webp\")
Behind the success is an intense training routine: six sessions a week, sometimes twice a day. “I run almost every day, except Saturday,” he describes. “On Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, the workouts are especially intense. In April, I also participated in a month-long training camp in France. It really gave me a boost ahead of the competitions in Israel.”<\/p>\n
A Whole Year Condensed into Minutes<\/strong> Around him, friends and family are closely involved in the journey. “My friends are really excited. It\u2019s not a very well-known sport, so they ask a lot of questions. They\u2019re genuinely interested. It gives me a lot of motivation,” he says. “My family helps with everything \u2014 logistics, travel, mental support. Just being there, which might be the most important thing.”<\/p>\n From the Track to the Army Track<\/strong> Israeli Pride<\/strong> He speaks about the future with confidence, but also humility: “My goal is to keep progressing, including in adult competitions. Next year, I hope to be competitive at higher levels \u2014 European, global, everything in its time.”<\/p>\n In closing, he offers simple, direct advice to the next generation of young athletes: “Go train. Train smart. Understand that it takes time \u2014 you can\u2019t succeed instantly. You need patience. If you stick with it, you\u2019ll see results.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Just before his IDF enlistment, 17-year-old Yonatan Drozhininov achieved an impressive feat by winning the Israeli Youth Championship in the 1,500-meter race. In an interview with “RegaNEWS,” he shared his feelings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":27445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,2276,85,74,4],"tags":[6881,1591,6867,6882],"class_list":["post-27444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-idf","category-people","category-positive-moment","category-news","category-sports","tag-goldmedal","tag-israeli-athletes","tag-sports-competition","tag-yonatan-drozhininov"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nYonatan discovered running in mid-2021, after turning 14. “I haven\u2019t stopped since,” he says. The hardest part, he notes, is mental: “It\u2019s not easy to know that everything you\u2019ve worked on for a year comes down to a single four-minute race. There\u2019s a lot of pressure. You have to believe in yourself and execute everything precisely.”<\/p>\n
\nNext Sunday, August 17, Yonatan will enlist in the IDF as an outstanding athlete. Until then, he\u2019ll still compete in an international event in Belgium \u2014 the final opportunity this season to continue representing Israel. “It\u2019s very emotional,” he shares. “Especially after the war, I felt the meaning of wearing the national team uniform became stronger. At the European Championship, when they said my name and then ‘State of Israel,’ it was a powerful moment. It sharpened my desire to put our flag on the map \u2014 and to keep representing the country with pride.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WhatsApp_Image_2025-03-22_at_12.59.22.jpeg-1024x682.webp\")
\nWhen asked if he has encountered antisemitism in international competitions, he answers cautiously: “99% of the time everything was fine. But at the 2022 European Championship, there was one time we experienced unpleasant remarks from an athlete on another team. It didn\u2019t affect us; we didn\u2019t give it too much attention. But it did happen \u2014 and that was even before the war.”<\/p>\n