Large Israeli delegation hopes to bring Olympic medals home
Israeli Olympic athletes pose for a photo at Ben Gurion Airport ahead of departing for the 2024 Paris Games on July 22, 2024. (Courtesy Olympic Committee of Israel)
Two days before the Opening Ceremonies, Israel’s Olympic team was already in action — and already facing hostility from fans.
Israel’s men’s soccer team qualified for the Olympics, making two consecutive Olympics that Israel qualified for a team ball sport, having competed in baseball for the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 due to Covid. Israel’s previous Olympic soccer appearance was in 1976 in Montreal.
On July 24, their first match ended in a 1-1 draw with Mali, after Mali’s Hamidou Diallo had an own-goal in the 56th minute. Oscar Gloukh had a shot on goal, deflected by Mali keeper Lassine Diarra. Diallo slid to clear the ball away from a charging Israeli player, but did not send it wide enough and it went into the inside of the net.
Cheickna Doumbia scored for Mali in the 63rd minute, and the Israel team scored a point despite being outshot 22-12, with just two shots on goal.
The Israeli team arrived at the stadium under intense security, and when Israel’s national anthem was played before the match, there were whistles and jeers from the crowd, causing stadium officials to turn up the speaker volume. A group of fans on the front row had shirts with one letter each that were then organized to spell “Free Palestine.” Stewards were dispatched to remove any political demonstrations.
Group play continues against Paraguay on July 27, and Japan on July 30. Liel Abada, who now plays for Charlotte FC in North Carolina, is part of the squad.
In all, Israel will compete in 16 sports with a delegation of 88, 54 men and 34 women. That is down slightly from the 90 at the 2021 Games.
Israel, which has a total of 13 medals in its history, hopes to build on the 2021 Games, where they won four medals — two gold and two bronze.
One of the gold medalists was Artem Dolgopyat, who returns for the gymnastics all-around. On the women’s side, Lihie Raz will represent Israel in the all-around.
Daria Atamonov celebrates her medals at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham. IIS file.
In rhythmic gymnastics, Daria Atamonov will be in the individual all-around competition. In 2022, she won Israel’s first-ever gold medal in the World Games, held in Birmingham. She wound up winning two gold and one silver in her four events. Israel’s Linoy Ashram won gold in the event in 2021, breaking a string of Russia gold medals going back to 2000, and the first for a non-Eastern Bloc or Soviet team.
Israel will also have a group in rhythmic gymnastics, Ofir Shaham, Diana Svertsov, Adar Friedmann, Romi Paritzki and Shani Bakanov.
Another 2021 medalist, Avishag Samberg, will compete in the women’s 49-kg. taekwondo, where she won bronze last time.
The other 2021 medal was bronze for mixed team judo. Most of that team returns for 2024, including Tohar Butbul, Raz Hershko, Inbar Lanir, Sagi Muki, Shira Rishony, Baruch Shmailov, Timna Nelson-Levy, Peter Paltchik and Gili Sharir. Newcomers are Yam Wolczak, Gefen Primo and Maya Goshen. They open competition against Mongolia, and all 12 will be competing individually in their different weight classes.
Lanir is world champion, having won the 2023 title in Qatar in women’s 78-kg. Hershko has been European champion since 2021, and competes in the women’s 78-plus category.
Israel is bringing 20 swimmers to Paris, including Matan Roditi, who finished fourth in Tokyo and will compete in the 10-kilometer open water event. Anastasia Gorbenko will compete in four individual women’s events — 200 back, 100 breast, and the 200 and 400 individual medleys — along with the 4×200 women’s freestyle relay and the 4×100 mixed medley relay.
Also swimming for Israel’s men’s team will be Meiron Cheruti (50 free), Martin Kartavi (50 free), Tomer Frankel (100 free, 100 butterfly), Denis Lokatev (200 free), Gal Cohen Groumi (100 butterfly), Adam Maraana (100 back), David Gerchik (200 back), Ron Polonsky (100 breast, 200 individual medley). Alexey Glivinskiy will join Frankel, Groumi and Loktev on the 4×100 freestyle relay, and Eitan Ben Shitrit and Bar Soloveychik join Groumi and Loktev in the 4×200.
For the women, Aviv Barzelay will compete in 100 and 200 back, and Lea Polonsky will do the 200 free and 200 individual medley. Daria Golovaty and Ayla Spitz join Gorbenko and Polonsky in the 4×200 relay. Gorbenko, Groumi, Polonsky and Andrea Murez will do the mixed medley relay.
Ariel Nassee and Shelly Bobritsky will be a duet for women’s artistic swimming.
In archery, Roy Dror will compete on the men’s side, with Mikaella Moshe on the women’s side. They will combine for the mixed competition.
In running, U23 European champion Blessing Afrifah will compete in the men’s 200-meter. In the men’s marathon, Israel will be represented by Maru Teferi, Gashau Ayale and Girmaw Amare, while Lonah Chemtai Salpeter and Maor Tiyoiuri will be in the women’s marathon.
Shachar Sagiv qualified for the men’s triathlon.
In shooting, Sergey Richter will compete in the men’s 10-meter air rifle, his fourth time at the Olympics.
Anat Lelior will compete in women’s shortboard surfing, with the competition taking place in Tahiti. This is her second Olympics.
In sailing, Tom Reuveny is in the men’s IQFoil, while Sharon Kantor is in the women’s race. Dor Zarka represents the men in Formula Kite and Gal Zukerman will be on the women’s side. In medal races, Omer Vered Vilenchik will compete in the men’s ILCA7, while Shai Kakon is in the women’s ILCA6. Noa Lasri and Nitai Hasson are in the mixed 470.
Yuval Freilich represents Israel in men’s epee fencing, Israel’s first fencer since 2008.
Misha Zilberman will face athletes from Ireland, Denmark and Nepal in group play for badminton. This will be his fourth Olympics.
In cycling, Itamar Einhorn will be in the men’s road race, while Rotem Gafinovitz will be in the women’s race. Mikhail Iakovlev will compete in men’s sprint and keirin events. Tomer Zaltsman will be in men’s cross-country mountain biking.
Three Israeli equestrians will compete individually and in the team competition — Daniel Bluman, Ashlee Bond and Robin Muhr.
Judoka Paltchik and swimmer Murez are the flag bearers for the Opening Ceremonies.
Heightened security
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz sent a message to French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné on July 24, one day before the launch of the Olympic Games in Paris, warning of an Iranian threat to Israeli athletes.
“We have intelligence indicating that Iranian operatives and other terrorist groups are planning to target members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists,” said Katz, according to Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan News.
IOC President Thomas Bach and Niv Yehoshua of Team Israel interact during the Athletes’ Call for Peace event at the Olympic Village Plaza ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 22, 2024 in Saint-Denis, Paris, France. Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images.
Katz thanked French President Emmanuel Macron and the French foreign minister for the unprecedented security preparations that have been put in place for the games, which officially begin on July 26.
He also commended French efforts to confront inciting elements attempting to undermine the legitimacy of Israel’s participation at the Olympics.
“I deeply appreciate your and President Macron’s unequivocal condemnation of the recent inflammatory rhetoric against Israeli athletes in Paris,” he said.
Referring to remarks by left-wing French Parliament member Thomas Portes of the France Unbowed Party, who called at a demonstration last weekend for French people to mobilize against the Israeli athletes and said they are not welcome in France, Israeli Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka said lawsuits had been filed against the MP. He added that “the French government made it clear unequivocally that all Israeli athletes are welcome and safe in France.”
According to Hebrew media reports over the weekend, Israeli athletes have been receiving threatening messages via email and telephone ahead of the event, including a letter warning of a repeat of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists.
Some athletes received invitations to their own funerals, with the date listed as during the Olympics.
The budget for the Israel Security Agency in Paris is double what it was in Tokyo.
On July 22, the Palestine Olympic Committee said that it had sent a letter to International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach, asking him to bar Israel from the international tournament. According to the POC, the Israelis are in violation of the Olympic Truce due to the war in Gaza.
The Council on American-Islamic relations has also called for a ban on Israel at the Olympics, or at least barring Israelis from participating under the Israeli flag.
Before departing for France, Israel Olympic Committee President Yael Arad said at Ben Gurion Airport that it was a “victory” for the 88-strong delegation to be heading to the Olympics.
“Our first victory is that we are here and going and that we didn’t give up and have been competing in hundreds of competitions since Oct. 7,” Arad told reporters.
Arad also discussed the increased security for Israeli athletes in Paris.
“It’s no secret that these Olympic Games are a little more difficult for all of us. But we have full confidence in the organization of security,” Arad added.
“We feel like emissaries of the State of Israel,” said Arad. “Our athletes are here to accomplish their dreams, but there is an additional dimension, that of a national mission.”
From staff and JNS reports
