Rooting for Israel in Rio

Ilana Kratysh, Freestyle Wrestler OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF ISRAEL PHOTO

With 47 athletes, this year’s delegation of Israelis to Rio will be the country’s largest ever.

Israel's 2016 Olympic Team MARK NEIMAN/ISRAEL GPO PHOTO
Israel’s 2016 Olympic Team MARK NEIMAN/ISRAEL GPO PHOTO

Some will compete in sports where the country has a winning track record, such as sailing and judo; others will try to take home medals in sports where the country has not yet scored but hopes to do so – wrestling, badminton and golf.

Here are five Israelis to root for in Rio.

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Laetitia Beck KEITH ALLISON PHOTO

LAETITIA BECK, golf – Although Israel would never be mistaken for a golf superpower, the country is sending its first links representative to this year’s Olympics. Laetitia Beck was born in Antwerp, Belgium, and moved with her family to Israel when she was six. They settled in Caesarea, home of Israel’s only 18-hole golf course – and Laetitia took up the game at the age of nine. She has studied and trained in the United States since she was 14, and in 2014, she was the first Israeli woman to play professional golf at the Women’s British Open.

In Rio, she will be competing in a field of 60 women golfers – and she seems to have realistic expectations. “I keep telling myself: ‘Enjoy what you’re doing,’ she told the Jewish Week. “Even if I struggle, which I do a lot, I enjoy the process. I’m very lucky, especially considering where we, the Jewish people, were 70, 80 years ago. I know that if I enjoy myself, good things are going to come.”

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WIKI COMMONS PHOTO

MISHA ZILBERMAN, badminton – Born in Moscow and living in Ness Ziona, Misha Zilberman is Israel’s only representative in badminton. Zilberman has got the game in his genes. His mother, Svetlana, is a top-level senior badminton player who played for the former Soviet Union. Mother and son have even competed together in mixed doubles at the World Championships in Hyderabad, India. Misha Zilberman played for Israel at the 2015 European Games in men’s singles and is ranked 65th in the world.

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ILANA KRATYSH, freestyle wrestler – Kratysh was born in Israel – barely. Her mother gave birth an hour after her parents left Russia and landed in their new land. “My mother had contractions and a doctor on board asked whether she wanted to give birth on the plane,” Kratysh explained to the Jewish Tribune. “She decided to take medicine to delay the delivery until the plane landed in Israel.”

Building on her skills in judo, Kratysh has won silver in the European Championships in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and has ranked as high as third in the world in the 67-kg freestyle rankings. Kratysh will be the first woman to wrestle for Israel in the Olympics.

SHAHAR ZUBARI, windsurfing – Born in Eilat, Zubari began surfing at the age of 7. Competing on the RS:X surfboard, he scored a come from behind performance in Athens to take home bronze. Prior to leaving for Rio, Zubari laid a wreath in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes killed at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Shahar is a nephew of Gad Zobari, the 1972 Olympic wrestler who managed to escape from Arab terrorists during the Munich massacre.

NETA RIVKIN, rhythmic gymnast – Born in Petah Tikvah, this will be Rivkin’s third Olympics after representing Israel in Beijing and London. Ranked sixth in the world, she is considered Israel’s most successful rhythmic gymnast having won two silver medals at the 2011 European Championships.

Rivkin has already scored a huge success being named Israel’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. “When I was told I would be holding the flag, I felt I was fulfilling another personal dream,” she told Israel’s Tazpit Press Service. “On behalf of all the athletes, I can promise that we will all do our very best. We all want to bring moments of joy to the Israeli people.”

Over the years, Israel has won seven medals in three sports: judo, sailing and canoeing. That’s not bad, but perhaps if some other categories were introduced into the Games, Israelis and Jews everywhere could do even better. Ohr Somayach nominates these events:

  • the Lulav throw
  • the Kipah Frisbee
  • the High-Dive Mikvah
  • the Clean and Jerk Torah Lift
  • and everyone’s favourite, the 18 Blessing Lip-Sprint

And if Stuart Spector had his way, Jewish events would include:

  • the Mohel Marathon: Each certified mohel must run a marathon and perform a bris at each kilometre mark. This is the only event that allows alcohol – for the babies of course.
  • the Balance Beam: The accountant or bookkeeper that balances my mother’s chequebook in the shortest amount of time will be declared winner.
  • the Oyga Vault (say it out loud): A sound-enhanced pole vault competition, in which the vaulter gains extra points for exclaiming, “Oy, such tsuris this is causing me!”
  • And finally, what must be a truly gruelling competition, the Naches Shlep: Proud bubbies and zaides have two minutes to boast about their grandchildren.