Israel won three medals at the Olympics on Saturday, including one gold, bringing to a record-breaking six the number of medals awarded to Israeli athletes at the world’s top sports competition.
The news from France lifted spirits in Israel as the nation girded for a possible Iranian and Hezbollah attack and as the war against Hamas in Gaza continued for a tenth month.
Tom Reuveny took the gold medal in the men’s windsurfing final in Marseille on Saturday while Sharon Kantor won silver in the women’s. Gymnast Artem Dolgopyat got a silver medal, his second back to back Olympic medal after previously winning gold.
Due to security concerns, the six Israeli medalists did not participate in the round of medal presentations in front of throngs of fans in the Paris gardens in front of the Eiffel Tower. The Israeli delegation has been under highest security protection in the French capital in the wake of the war and threats of violence.
Israel won four medals at the last Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 2021.
With Saturday’s three medals, Israel’s total across all Olympic games stands at 19.
Judo is Israel’s most decorated Olympic sport, followed by sailing.
“I did it for our brave soldiers,” Reuveny told Channel 12 after taking the gold. His brother is among those fighting in Gaza. “The most important [goal] to me, that was what I was thinking before I sailed—I feel like it’s so much bigger than me,” he said.
The three Israeli athletes who won on Saturday showcase the mosaic that is Israel, all coming from immigrant families.
Reuveny, 24, of Rosh Ha’ayin, who began sailing at age eight, was born to a British mother and Israeli father.
Kantor, 21, of Moshav Avihayil, near Netanya, was born to immigrant parents from Australia and South Africa, and began surfing at age 10. She is the first Israeli woman to win a medal in the sport.
Dolgopyat, 27, was born in Ukraine and immigrated in 2009 at the age of 12, when he was already a contest-winning gymnast.
‘You made an entire nation happy’
“You have brought victory, together with your colleagues in the delegation, huge victories, which have always brought pride to the State of Israel, but at this time they simply lift the spirit of the nation,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the athletes in congratulatory telephone calls.
“This is our goal, to come and represent the country in the ... best way possible and to show everyone how strong we are and what an amazing people we are and [that] nothing can bring us down. This medal is mine but in effect it belongs to us all,” said Israeli judoka Raz Hershko, who took silver in the women’s over-78 kilogram weight class.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, too, congratulated the medalists, telling them via telephone on Saturday night, “You made an entire nation happy, a nation that is at war and that is praying for the return of its hostages ... you brought us a great light. Thank you on behalf of an entire nation that was so moved. I salute you, and I think I speak for the entire Israeli public who salute you.”
