Израиль / Israel

Israel were first represented at the Helsinki 1952 Games by a team of 22 men and three women.

Hurdler Esther ROTH became the first Israeli to qualify for an Olympic final. She finished sixth in the 100m hurdles at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. She had been her country's flagbearer at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

Israel's first medals came in judo at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. Shay-Oren SMADGA took bronze in the half lightweight class and the first Israeli woman to win a medal, Yael ARAD, claimed a silver in the half middleweight.

Windsurfer Gal FRIDMAN is Israel's only Olympic champion to date. He won gold at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. He had already collected a bronze at Atlanta in 1996.

Another windsurfer, Shahar ZUBARI, grabbed a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

At the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, 11 members of the Israeli team were killed in a terrorist attack.