Israel’s Olympic Stars
The official motto of the Olympics is faster, higher, stronger – or in Hebrew, maher yoter, gavoa yoter, chazak yoter. This year, Israel’s roughly forty Olympic athletes will travel to London to improve on the past and set the standard for the future.
Secretary General of Israel’s National Olympic Committee, Efraim Zinger, explains: “After coming back from each Olympic Games, we spend a year analyzing the Israeli athletes’ performance and making goals and targets for the next delegation,” says Zinger. “By the end of 2009, we had decided on three targets for 2012.”
Those three goals are:
1. Come home with a medal for Israel, for the sixth time in a row.
2. Come home with a medal in a new discipline.
3. See a female Israeli athlete on the podium.
Israel traditionally has led the way in water sports and judo. And, explains Zinger, “at Athens and Beijing, females made up 50 percent of our delegation, and it’s about time to see one of them making another step forward, onto the podium.”
These goals reflect Israel’s approach to the Olympics. Taking the Olympic motto to heart, Israel plans to be faster, high, stronger, and prouder than ever before.
Israel has won seven medals in 14 Olympic Games since 1952. The first two were awarded at the 1992 Barcelona Games, both in judo: silver for Yael Arad and bronze for Oren Smadja. Since then, Israel has won at least one medal during each summer games.
Top Israeli Olympic contenders for the London 2012 Olympics include Arik Zeevi and Alice Schlesinger in judo, Lee Korzits in windsurfing, and Alex Shatilov in gymnastics. Tennis players Shahar Peer, Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich; rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin, who recently took bronze at the European Championships; sharpshooter Sergey Richter; and sailing superstars Eran Sela and Gidi Kliger also have been mentioned as likely medalists.
The final roster for the 2012 Israeli Olympic team will be released in July.
Secretary General of Israel’s National Olympic Committee, Efraim Zinger, explains: “After coming back from each Olympic Games, we spend a year analyzing the Israeli athletes’ performance and making goals and targets for the next delegation,” says Zinger. “By the end of 2009, we had decided on three targets for 2012.”
Those three goals are:
1. Come home with a medal for Israel, for the sixth time in a row.
2. Come home with a medal in a new discipline.
3. See a female Israeli athlete on the podium.
Israel traditionally has led the way in water sports and judo. And, explains Zinger, “at Athens and Beijing, females made up 50 percent of our delegation, and it’s about time to see one of them making another step forward, onto the podium.”
These goals reflect Israel’s approach to the Olympics. Taking the Olympic motto to heart, Israel plans to be faster, high, stronger, and prouder than ever before.
Israel has won seven medals in 14 Olympic Games since 1952. The first two were awarded at the 1992 Barcelona Games, both in judo: silver for Yael Arad and bronze for Oren Smadja. Since then, Israel has won at least one medal during each summer games.
Top Israeli Olympic contenders for the London 2012 Olympics include Arik Zeevi and Alice Schlesinger in judo, Lee Korzits in windsurfing, and Alex Shatilov in gymnastics. Tennis players Shahar Peer, Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich; rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin, who recently took bronze at the European Championships; sharpshooter Sergey Richter; and sailing superstars Eran Sela and Gidi Kliger also have been mentioned as likely medalists.
The final roster for the 2012 Israeli Olympic team will be released in July.