While the world anticipates the 2012 London Olympics, Israeli champions prepare for 18 events with a team of 38 athletes. The best hopes for medals come in Sailing (sailboarding) and Judo. In the history of participation in the Olympics, Israel has won seven medals comprised of only one gold medal in windsurfing at the 2004 Athens Games.
Israel has competed in the Olympic Games as a nation since 1952. Israel won its first Olympic medal after its tenth Olympic appearance. In 1992, Judoka Yael Arad claimed the first medal in Israel’s history, silver in Judo. She was followed a day later by another judoka, Oren Smadja, who won bronze. Since then, Israel has won at least one medal in each Summer Olympics. In 2004, Gal Fridman became Israel’s first gold medalist in men’s windsurfing. This was his second medal, following his bronze in 1996, and he is Israel’s only multi-medalist.
Here is a look at a few of this year’s hopefuls:
Vered Buskila– an Olympic sailor who will be competing in her third Games in London. In 1998, at the age of 15, she partnered with Limor Kliger, 16, and won the women’s world 420 yachting championship in the Gulf of Corinth in Greece. Buskila competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the Women’s 470 Class Two-Person Dinghy with Nike Kornecki, and came in 18th. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in the Women’s 470 Class Two-Person Dinghy and came in fourth. In 2012, she will be competing with a new partner Gil Cohen. Buskila was born in Bat Yam, Israel.
Lee Korzits– Israel’s top female windsurfer will be competing in her second Olympic Games. When she won her first world title at the age of 19, Korzits made history by becoming the first female Israeli world champion at any sport- and the youngest surfer to ever win the world title. She competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens where she placed 13th. Due to an injury, she did not make the 2008 team. She is back to competing after winning her third world title at the 2012 RS:X World Championships. She was born in Hofit.
Shahar Pe’er– tennis player competing in her second Olympic Games. Shahar is well known in Israel and is their highest profile athlete in these games. In 2007, she reached the quarter finals in both the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. In 2008, she lost in the second round to #9 seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia. Pe’er was born in Jerusalem.
Neta Rivkin– Rhythmic gymnast who will be competing in her second Olympic Games. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, coming in 14th. She was the youngest member of the Israeli Olympics delegation, having just turned 17 years of age. In September 2011, at the age of 20, she won a bronze medal in the individual hoop final at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Montpellier, France. It was the first world rhythmic gymnastics medal won by an Israeli. Rivkin said: “Words cannot describe what I’m feeling and my joy. I have a powerful desire to bring more achievements to our small and beautiful land.” Rivkin was born in Petach Tikvah, Israel.
Alice Schlesinger– Judoka will be her second Olympic Games. Schlesinger has won two Israel national championships (including in 2004, at U57). She also won Continental gold medals in the U17, U20, and U23 competitions. In August 2011, Schlesinger was ranked 6th in the world in her weight class. In September 2011, she won a silver medal at a Grand Prix in Dusseldorf, Germany, at U63. She was born in Herzliya, Israel.
Alexander Shatilov– Artistic gymnast will be competing in his first Olympic Games. Shatilov began his gymnastics training in Uzbekistan at the age of five. He immigrated to Israel in 2002. In 2011, he won the silver medal in the floor exercise at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. At the 2011 World Championships he won the bronze medal in the floor exercise, and also finished 13th in the all-around final. This achievement has qualified him to compete for Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he is regarded as one of Israel’s medal prospects.
Ariel Zeevi– Judoka will be the first Israel to compete in four Olympic Games. Ze’evi, a dan 5 black belt in Judo, has had a long and successful career competing in half-heavyweight Judo competitions. He was an Olympic bronze medal finalist in the 2004 Summer Olympics Judo 100 kg class in Athens. He was born and raised in Bnei Brak.
Additional Israeli’s competing in the Olympics include:
Felix Aronovich- Gymnastics: Artistic
Artium Arshanski- Judo: Men’s 60kg
Moran Buzovsky- Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Gil Cohen- Sailing: 470 class
Nufar Edelman- Sailing: Laser Radial
Jonathan Erlich- Tennis: men’s doubles
Imri Ganiel- Swimming: 100m breaststroke
Anastasia Gloushkov-Synchronized swimming: duet
Amit Ivry- Swimming: 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley
Gideon Kliger- Sailing: 470 class
Victoria Koshel- Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Valeria Maksyuta- Gymnastics: Artistic
Gal Nevo- Swimming: 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m individual medley
Noa Palathcy- Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Ioseb Palelashvili- Judo: Men’s 73kg
Golan Pollack- Judo: Men’s 66kg
Andy Ram- Tennis: men’s doubles
Sergy Rikhter- Shooting: 10m air rifle and 50 m rifle prone
Donald Sanford- Athletics: 400m
Eran Sela- Sailing: 470 class
Jill Schwartz- Athletics: Pole vault
Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or- Swimming: 200m freestyle
Marina Shultz- Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Yakov-Yan Tourmarkin- Swimming: 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke
Inna Yoffe- Synchronized swimming: duet
Paulina Zakaluzny- Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Zohar Zemiro- Athletics: Marathon
Eliora Zholkovski- Gymnastics: Rhythmic
Misha Zilberman- Badminton: Men’s singles
Shahar Zubari- Sailing: RS:X
