Two Russian female kickboxing champions were found dead on Monday in a swimming tragedy after one jumped into the water to save the other during a storm.
World champion Fatima Zhagupova and teammate Elina Gismeeva drowned near a Russian Black Sea naval port in Sevastopol. Zhagupova, 33, was the world champion kickboxer, while Gismeeva, 27, was the runner-up in last year’s world series listings from the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations.
The Kickboxing Federation of Russia noted that both athletes were at a Crimean training camp in preparation for the European Championships and they thought they would go and have a swim in the yacht club beach.