‘It’s a Welcome Distraction’: Israel Concludes Historic Run at Olympics Despite Facing Pressure, Threats, War

Israel on Sunday completed its most successful performance in the Olympic Games in the history of the country, taking home a record-breaking seven medals while its delegation faced obstacles including death threats, security concerns, and pressure for them to be banned from the Olympics because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Israeli athletes won one gold medal in addition to five silver and a bronze at the Paris Games. Their last medal win took place on Saturday, when Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team earned silver in the women’s rhythmic all-round group finals with a score of 68.850 points. They only trailed China, which won gold with a score of 69.800. The Israeli team consisted of five women: Shani Bakanov, 18, Adar Friedmann, 18, Romi Paritzki, 20, Ofir Shaham, 19, and Diana Svertsov, 19. The bronze medal went to Italy.

Israel reached the rhythmic team finals in the 2008, 2016, and 2020 Olympics, but Saturday’s win was Israel’s first Olympic medal in the team category.

Before arriving in Paris, Israel had a total of 13 Olympic medals in its history, but after the 2024 Olympic Games the country now has 20 — which include nine in judo and four in gymnastics.

“We’ve never been prouder,” read a post on Sunday that was published on the state of Israel’s official X/Twitter account. “Thank you Team Israel. Am Yisrael Chai.”

One of the proudest moments at the 2024 Olympic Games was when Tom Reuveny won Israel’s first gold medal of the Paris Olympics. He took home the medal in the men’s windsurfing event, resulting in Israel’s national anthem “Hatikvah” playing on the speakers on the shores of Marseilles for the first during the Olympics this year. Reuveny carried Israel’s flag with Paritzki in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Sunday.

Israel’s other Olympic winners this year included Sharon Kantor, who became the first Israeli woman to win a sailing medal when she took silver; judoka Raz Hershko, who won silver in the women’s over 78-kg category; judoka Inbar Lanir, who won silver in the women’s under 78-kg category; judoka Peter Paltchik and his bronze medal win in the men’s under 100-kg category; and artistic gymnast Artem Dolgopyat, a silver medal winner in the men’s floor exercise. Dolgopyat won a gold in the Tokyo Olympics in the same category and is now Israel’s most decorated Olympian.

While there were heightened concerns before the Olympics started about the safety and security of the Israeli Olympic delegation during their time in Paris, the Games were relatively quiet with increased security personnel provided by Israel’s Shin Ben and also French police.

Anti-Israel posters and signs were seen at soccer matches, and some audience members booed during events that involved Israeli athletes. Palestinian flags were also waved as Israeli athletes competed, and two Israeli judokas were snubbed by their opponents in two different categories, one of which is being investigated by the International Judo Federation.

Meanwhile, Patlchik was criticized for supporting the Israel Defense Forces in its war against Hamas terrorists and Yael Arad, president of the Israeli National Olympic Committee, said some team members faced “centralized” threats aimed at stirring “psychological terror” in the athletes during the Olympic Games. There were also repeated efforts to have Israel banned from the Olympics.

Despite such obstacles and backlash because of the Israel-Hamas war, Team Israel prevailed and made history at the Olympics. They saw support from fans that even shocked the athletes themselves.

“We have so much support, which is shocking to me because we were obviously prepared for people to not be supportive,” Israeli equestrian Ashlee Bond told AFP. “The fact that we had so much support brought tears to my eyes.”

David Wiseman is the co-founder of Follow Team Israel, a page on Facebook and Instagram that shares stories about Israeli sports and athletes around the world. He spoke with The Algemeiner about Israel’s historic performance in the Olympic Games in Paris and how the counry’s Olympic delegation has grown over the years.

“It’s amazing that the Israeli team has been able to perform so well on the biggest stage with so many pressures that other athletes don’t have to deal with,” he said. “Israeli sport is getting better and better and better. Twelve years ago, the [Israeli Olympic] team was 37 athletes and didn’t win a medal. Now we’re 88 athletes (inflated by the soccer team of 18) and thus far have won seven. And these seven medals mean so much to the nation in a time when we’re dealing with so much. They are a welcome distraction and put a spring in everyone’s steps.”

“The reality is that just to get to the Olympics, the Israeli athletes have to be of a fantastic standard and then it comes down to being able to do it on the day,” he added. “After the Olympics, there’s a little bit of buzz for the athletes but then fans and media move on to basketball and football and no one cares much for sailing, judo and gymnastics, etc. That’s why we created the page — to share the amazing stories of our athletes all the time, regardless of the sport they play. The fans learn about the athletes and become more appreciative of them. I hope that following these historic Games, the powers that be will realize the significance and importance of sport and put even more resources into it. Our athletes deserve it.”

Israel will give a total of NIS 5 million ($1.3 million), tax-free, to its Olympic medalists and NIS 2.5 million ($662,449) to the coaches of the winners, according to The Times of Israel. NIS 1 million will be given to its gold medalist; NIS 700,000 to each silver medalists, and NIS 500,000 to its bronze medalist.

Besides medals, athletes part of Team Israel made other achievements as well in the Paris Olympics. Mikhail Yakovlev, 23, held a new Olympic record in the men’s sprint qualifying race, but only for less than a minute before it was quickly overtaken by two of his competitors.

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter — a 35-year-old native of Kenya who is an Israeli citizen — finished in ninth place in the women’s marathon, which is the top placement for Israel in any Olympic marathon. The Israeli swim team that competed in the men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay set a new record for Israel, and in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, Ron Polonsky broke an Israeli record that he previously set. Israel’s artistic swimmers Shelly Bobritsky and Ariel Nassee finished 11th in the duet event but the placement is Israel’s best Olympic finish in the sport.

Jewish athletes competing for other countries also won big at the Olympics this year.

American-Israeli wrestler Amit Elor, 20, won the gold medal in the women’s freestyle wrestling 68-kg finals. The Team USA athlete became the youngest American wrestler to win an Olympic gold in the history of the US, and the third woman from the US to win Olympic gold in wrestling. Team USA Jewish athletes Jackie Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub won gold as part of the women’s foil team, and American swimmer Claire Weinstein, 17, won her first Olympic medal this year — a silver in the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Making her Olympic debut, Sarah Levy, 28, won bronze as part of the US women’s rugby sevens team and American fencer Nick Itkin, 24, also took bronze in the men’s individual foil competition.

Jessica Fox won two gold medals in Paris for Team Australia, making her the most decorated canoe shalom competitor in the history of the Olympics and the only Australian Olympian in history to win six individual medals. When her younger sister Noémie, 27, won gold in the first ever canoe slalom women’s kayak cross at the 2024 Olympic Games – her first-ever Olympic medal – the sisters reportedly became the first Jewish siblings to both win gold at the same Olympics since sisters Tamara and Irina Press did in 1964 in track and field races for the Soviet Union.

Also for Team Australia, Jewish athlete Sienna Green won a silver medal in the women’s water polo match. Making her Olympic debut at 19, she is the youngest woman to compete on behalf of Australia in women’s water polo. Race walker Jemima Montag, 26, won two bronze medals for Australia – in the 20-kilometer race walk and the marathon mixed relay event. Montag is the first Australian woman in 52 years to win two medals in track and field events at the same Olympics.