Israel at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Israel at the Olympics
IOC code	ISR
NOC	Olympic Committee of Israel
Website
Medals Ranked 74th	Gold Silver Bronze Total 4 6 10 20
Summer appearances
1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winter appearances
1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018

Israel has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1952. The country's main sports group, the National Olympic Committee, was created in 1933. This was during the time when British Mandate of Palestine was in charge.

Israel has sent athletes to almost every Summer Olympic Games since 1952. The only time they didn't go was in 1980, when they joined a boycott. They have also competed in every Winter Olympic Games since 1994. In 1994, Israel became a member of the European Olympic Committees (EOC). At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Israel achieved its best results yet, winning seven Olympic medals!

Olympic Medals for Israel

Israel has won many medals over the years. Let's look at how they've done in both the Summer and Winter Games.

Summer Games Medals

This table shows how many medals Israel has won at each Summer Olympic Games.

Games Athletes 1 Gold 2 Silver 3 Bronze Total Rank 1952 Helsinki 25 0 0 0 0 — 1956 Melbourne 3 0 0 0 0 — 1960 Rome 23 0 0 0 0 — 1964 Tokyo 10 0 0 0 0 — 1968 Mexico City 29 0 0 0 0 — 1972 Munich 15 0 0 0 0 — 1976 Montreal 26 0 0 0 0 — 1980 Moscow did not participate 1984 Los Angeles 32 0 0 0 0 — 1988 Seoul 19 0 0 0 0 — 1992 Barcelona 30 0 1 1 2 48 1996 Atlanta 25 0 0 1 1 71 2000 Sydney 39 0 0 1 1 71 2004 Athens 36 1 0 1 2 52 2008 Beijing 43 0 0 1 1 80 2012 London 37 0 0 0 0 — 2016 Rio de Janeiro 47 0 0 2 2 77 2020 Tokyo 90 2 0 2 4 39 2024 Paris 88 1 5 1 7 41 2028 Los Angeles Future events Total 4 6 10 20 74

Winter Games Medals Israel has not yet won any medals at the Winter Olympics. Games Athletes 1 Gold 2 Silver 3 Bronze Total Rank 1994 Lillehammer 1 0 0 0 0 – 1998 Nagano 3 0 0 0 0 – 2002 Salt Lake City 5 0 0 0 0 – 2006 Turin 5 0 0 0 0 – 2010 Vancouver 3 0 0 0 0 – 2014 Sochi 5 0 0 0 0 – 2018 Pyeongchang 10 0 0 0 0 – 2022 Beijing 6 0 0 0 0 – 2026 Milan/Cortina future event Total 0 0 0 0 –

Medals by Summer Sport

This table shows which sports Israel has won medals in during the Summer Olympics.

Sports	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
Sailing	2	1	2	5	29
Artistic gymnastics	1	1	0	2	35
Rhythmic gymnastics	1	1	0	2	7
Judo	0	3	6	9	38
Canoeing	0	0	1	1	42
Taekwondo	0	0	1	1	38
Total	4	6	10	20	79

List of Medalists

Here are the amazing athletes who have won Olympic medals for Israel.

Games	Sport	Event	Medal	Name	Ref.
1992 Barcelona	Judo	Women's ‍–‍61 kg	2 Silver	Arad, YaelYael Arad
		Men's ‍–‍71 kg	3 Bronze	Smadja, OrenOren Smadja
1996 Atlanta	Sailing	Men's Mistral One Design	3 Bronze	Fridman, GalGal Fridman
2000 Sydney	Canoeing	Men's K-1 500 metres	3 Bronze	Kolganov, MichaelMichael Kolganov
2004 Athens	Sailing	Men's Mistral One Design	1 Gold	Fridman, GalGal Fridman
	Judo	Men's ‍–‍100 kg	3 Bronze	Ze'evi, ArielAriel Ze'evi
2008 Beijing	Sailing	Men's RS:X	3 Bronze	Tzuberi, ShaharShahar Tzuberi
2016 Rio de Janeiro	Judo	Women's ‍–‍63 kg	3 Bronze	Gerbi, YardenYarden Gerbi
		Men's +100 kg	3 Bronze	Sasson, OrOr Sasson
2020 Tokyo	Gymnastics	Men's floor	1 Gold	Artem Dolgopyat
	Gymnastics	Women's rhythmic individual all-around	1 Gold	Linoy Ashram
	Taekwondo	Women's ‍–‍49 kg	3 Bronze	Semberg, AvishagAvishag Semberg
	Judo	Mixed team	3 Bronze	national judo team, IsraelIsrael national judo team Tohar Butbul Raz Hershko Li Kochman Inbar Lanir Sagi Muki Shira Rishony Baruch Shmailov Timna Nelson-Levy Peter Paltchik Or Sasson Gili Sharir
2024 Paris	Sailing	Men's iQFoil	1 Gold	Tom Reuveny
		Women's iQFoil	2 Silver	Sharon Kantor
	Gymnastics	Men's floor	2 Silver	Artem Dolgopyat
	Gymnastics	Women's rhythmic group all-around	2 Silver	Ofir Shaham Diana Svertsov Adar Friedmann Romi Paritzki Shani Bakanov
	Judo	Women's ‍–‍78 kg	2 Silver	Inbar Lanir
		Women's +78 kg	2 Silver	Raz Hershko
		Men's ‍–‍100 kg	3 Bronze	Peter Paltchik

Israel's Olympic Journey

An Israeli postal stamp from 1964, celebrating Israel at the Olympics.

The Olympic Committee for Palestine was formed in 1933. It was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1934. This committee never competed in the Olympics. The 1936 games were in Nazi Germany, and the Jewish Olympic committee chose not to participate. The 1940 and 1944 games were canceled because of World War II.

Even though the Palestine committee represented people of different backgrounds, its rules focused on the "Jewish National Home." In 1948, after Israel became a country, its request to join the 1948 Olympics was turned down. This was because Mandatory Palestine no longer existed, and Israel was a new country not yet recognized by the IOC. In 1951, the Olympic Committee was reorganized and renamed the Olympic Committee of Israel. It was recognized by the IOC in 1952.

Israel used to be part of the Asian Games Federation until 1981. In 1982, Israel decided to join the European Olympic Committees instead of the new Olympic Council of Asia.

Competing for Medals

Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Israel won its very first Olympic medal in 1992, at its tenth Olympic appearance. Yael Arad won a silver medal in Judo. The next day, another judoka, Oren Smadja, won a bronze.

After that, Israel won a bronze medal in five Summer Olympics in a row, until 2012. In 2004, Gal Fridman made history by winning Israel's first gold medal in men's windsurfing. This was his second medal, as he had won a bronze in 1996. He was the first Israeli to win multiple Olympic medals. In 2016, Israel won two more bronze medals.

At the 2020 Games (held in 2021), Israel won two gold medals. Artem Dolgopyat won in men's gymnastics (floor routine), and Linoy Ashram won in women's rhythmic gymnastics. They also won two bronze medals: one by Avishag Semberg in taekwondo, and another by the judo Mixed team.

Ágnes Keleti, a gymnast who moved to Israel in 1957, has won more Olympic medals than any other Israeli citizen. She won 10 medals for Hungary in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics.

Israel has been even more successful at the Paralympic Games than at the Olympics, winning 375 medals between 1960 and 2016.

Challenges at the Olympics

Sometimes, Israel's Olympic journey has faced difficult moments.

1972 Summer Olympics

During the Munich massacre in 1972, eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were tragically killed. This terrible event caused the Israeli team to leave the Games early.

The people who were killed were:

In 2016 and 2020, the International Olympic Committee officially honored the Israelis who were killed.

1980 Summer Olympics

Israel was one of the countries that boycotted the Moscow Olympics. This was a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It was also due to the Soviet Union's opposition to Israel.

2004 Summer Olympics

An Iranian judoka, Arash Miresmaeili, did not compete against Israeli Ehud Vaks at the 2004 Summer Olympics. This was because the Iranian government tried to prevent its athletes from competing against Israelis. Miresmaeili was officially disqualified for being overweight. However, the Iranian government gave him prize money, the same amount given to gold medal winners.

2016 Summer Olympics

Israeli judoka Ori Sasson.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, a Saudi Arabian judoka, Joud Fahmy, did not compete in her match. This may have been to avoid facing Israeli Gili Cohen. Later, Israeli judoka Or Sasson defeated Egyptian judoka Islam El Shahaby. After the match, Sasson tried to shake his opponent's hand, but El Shahaby refused.

Before the opening ceremony, the Lebanese team was supposed to ride the same bus as the Israeli team. The head of the Lebanese team demanded that the bus door be closed to the Israeli team. The Israeli athletes decided to travel separately to avoid any problems.

2024 Summer Olympics

At the 2024 Games, Algerian judoka Messaoud Dris missed his weight. This may have been to avoid facing Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul. The IOC is investigating this.

Also, Nurali Emomali from Tajikistan and Abderrahmane Boushita from Morocco refused to shake hands with their Israeli opponent, judoka Baruch Shmailov, after their matches.

Olympic Participants by Sport

Summer Olympics

This table shows how many Israeli athletes have competed in different sports at the Summer Olympics over the years.

Winter Olympics

This table shows how many Israeli athletes have competed in different sports at the Winter Olympics.

Images for kids

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  Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

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  An Israeli postal stamp from 1964, celebrating Israel at the Olympics.

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  Israeli judoka Ori Sasson.

See also

In Spanish: Israel en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• Israel at the Paralympics
• List of flag bearers for Israel at the Olympics
• Sport in Israel
• Jewish Olympics
• Antisemitism in the Olympic Games
• Boycotts of Israel in sports