Jewish and Israeli athletes aim for glory in Paris
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games will feature over 4000 athletes, competing in 22 sports, from today until September 8.
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games will feature over 4000 athletes, competing in 22 sports, from today until September 8.
Israel has a 28-strong team that includes an October 7 survivor, a Druze athlete, and three Muslim athletes.
At the Tokyo Paralympics, Israel won nine medals, including six golds.
The Paralympics will be broadcast on the Nine Network, and a commentator for the para canoe slalom events will be none other than Jessica Fox.
ISRAELI PARALYMPIANS TO LOOK OUT FOR
Wheelchair tennis
Adam Berdichevsky is returning for his third Paralympics, less than a year after his community near the Gaza border, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was attacked by Hamas on October 7.
Berdichevsky, his wife, and their three children, hid in their home for 14 hours before being rescued and evacuated to Eilat.
The 41-year-old, who lost his leg in a boating accident in 2007, was named, with goalball player Lihi Ben David, as Israel’s flag bearers for the opening ceremony, held early Thursday morning (AEST time) along the iconic Champs-Elysees.
Describing what motivated him to compete despite what he’d been through in the last year, Berdichevsky said: “The strong desire to represent my country during these times, and the support from my family.”
In quad tennis, Israeli star Guy Sasson, 44, will start his second Paralympics as a 2024 French Open men’s singles champion, and an Australian Open runner-up.
Swimming
Ami Dadon, 23, will look to add more Paralympic medals to his haul from Tokyo, when he won gold in the 200m freestyle in world record time, gold in the 50m freestyle, and silver in the 150m individual medley.
Israeli 24-year-old twins Ariel and Mark Malyar, 24, who were born with cerebral palsy, are ready for their second Paralympics. Mark won golds in Tokyo in the 200m medley and 400m freestyle, while Ariel competed in four events in Tokyo, making one final.
Arab-Israeli swimmer Iyad Shalabi, 37, is returning for his fifth consecutive Paralympics.
He was born deaf and became paralysed aged 13, after a rooftop fall. Shalabi won golds in Tokyo in 50m and 100m backstroke.
Rowing
Paris will be Moran Samuel’s fourth consecutive Paralympics.
The 42-year-old, who had a spinal stroke in 2006, won bronze at the 2016 Games and silver in Tokyo.
Taekwondo
Asaf Yasur, 22, had to have both of his hands amputated at the age of 13, after being electrocuted.
He is a two-time world para taekwondo champion, who will make his Paralympics debut.
NOTABLE JEWISH DIASPORA ATHLETES
Wheelchair basketball
American Peter Berry, 22, was part of a team that won gold at the 2023 Para Pan-American Games. This will be the University of Alabama star’s first Paralympics.
Athletics
American Ezra Frech, 19, made his Paralympics debut in Tokyo when still at school. He is now one of the favourites in Paris in the T63 high jump, having recently broken the world record, and will also compete in long jump and the 100m sprint.
Table tennis
American Tahl Leibovitz, 49, returns for his seventh Paralympics. He won gold and bronze on debut in 1996, and bronze in 2004, plus golds between 2007 and 2019 at the Para Pan-Ams.
After winning gold in his Paralympics debut in Tokyo, fellow American Ian Seidenfeld, 23, will aim for a repeat performance in Paris.
Brazilian Israel Pereira Stroh, 37, won silver at the 2016 Paralympics, and is from Sao Paulo’s Hebraica Club.
Boccia
This will be Canadian Alison Levine’s third Paralympics. The 34-year-old is currently ranked second in the world women’s rankings in the boccia BC4 class.
Equestrian
Canadian Jody Schloss, 52, placed 11th at the London and Tokyo Paralympics. She will compete in individual and team events in Paris.JTA
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