SafekipediaIsrael at the Olympics
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Israel at the Olympics
Israel has competed in the Olympic Games since 1952. Its National Olympic Committee was formed in 1933, when the area was called the British Mandate of Palestine. Israel has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games except in 1980, when many countries did not attend the Games. Israel started sending athletes to the Winter Olympic Games in 1994.
In 2024, Israel won seven medals at the Summer Olympics, the most the country has ever won in one Olympic Games. This showed the success of Israeli athletes. In 1994, Israel also joined the European Olympic Committees, becoming part of a group of European nations that support the Olympics.
Medal tables
See also: All-time Olympic Games medal table
Medals by summer sport
List of medalists
Gold
Silver
Bronze
History
See also: Jewish Olympics
In 1933, the Palestine National Olympic Committee was formed and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1934. It couldn't compete in the 1936 games because they were held in Nazi Germany, and the next two games were cancelled due to World War II. In 1948, after Israel was established, it tried to join the Olympics but wasn’t recognized yet. By 1952, the National Olympic Committee was reorganized and renamed the Olympic Committee of Israel, and it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee that same year.
Israel’s first Olympic medal came in 1992 in Judo, with Yael Arad winning silver and Oren Smadja winning bronze. Since then, Israel has won medals in several Summer Olympics. Gal Fridman became Israel’s first gold medallist in 2004 in windsurfing. In the 2020 Games, Israel won two gold medals—one by Artem Dolgopyat in gymnastics and another by Linoy Ashram in rhythmic gymnastics—and two bronze medals. Through 2022, Israel has not won any medals in the Winter Olympics.
Ágnes Keleti, who moved to Israel in 1957, won ten medals for Hungary in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics. Israel has been more successful at the Paralympic Games than at the Olympics.
Conflicts with nations
See also: Boycotts of Israel in sports
1972 Summer Olympics
Main article: Munich massacre
During the 1972 Summer Olympics, a sad event happened. Some members of the Israeli team could not continue in the Games. This made the Israeli team leave the rest of the Olympics.
On August 3, 2016, before the 2016 Summer Olympics began, leaders of the Olympic Games honored these athletes for the first time. They were also honored when the 2020 Summer Olympics started.
1980 Summer Olympics
Israel decided not to join the 1980 Summer Olympics to show they were unhappy with some actions by another country.
2004 Summer Olympics
During the 2004 Summer Olympics, an athlete from Iran did not compete against an Israeli athlete. This caused some questions, but nothing more happened.
2016 Summer Olympics
Before the 2016 Summer Olympics began, some athletes from different countries did not want to compete or share a bus with Israeli athletes.
2024 Summer Olympics
In 2024, some athletes missed their weight checks to avoid competing against Israeli athletes, and some did not shake hands after their matches.
Olympic participants
Israel has joined the Olympic Games since 1952. The country's National Olympic Committee started even earlier, in 1933.
Israel has sent athletes to every Summer Olympics since 1952, except in 1980 when they joined a boycott. For Winter Olympics, Israel began sending athletes in 1994 and has done so every year since.
| Sport | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Athletics | 7 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 85 | |
| Badminton | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Baseball | 24 | 24 | |||||||||||||||||
| Basketball | 13 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||
| Boxing | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||||||
| Canoeing/Kayaking | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||
| Cycling | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Diving | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Equestrian | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| Fencing | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 19 | ||||||||
| Football | 19 | 17 | 19 | 55 | |||||||||||||||
| Golf | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gymnastics | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 59 | ||||||
| Judo | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 62 | |||||||
| Sailing | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 67 | |||||
| Shooting | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 35 | ||
| Surfing | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Swimming | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 101 |
| Synchronized swimming | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||||||||||||||
| Table tennis | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Taekwondo | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Tennis | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | |||||||||||
| Triathlon | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Weightlifting | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||||||||||
| Wrestling | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 18 | ||||||||||
| Total | 26 | 3 | 23 | 10 | 31 | 15 | 27 | 37 | 19 | 31 | 25 | 41 | 35 | 43 | 37 | 47 | 90 | 88 | 628 |
| Sport | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 | 2018 | 2022 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Skiing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |||
| Figure Skating | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Short Track Speed Skating | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| Skeleton | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Total | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 38 |
Related articles
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