Israel’s national men’s marathon team won the gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, Germany, 50 years after Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Olympics in the same city.
Team Israel took home the gold medal on Monday with a combined time of 6:31:48, followed by Germany, which won the silver, and Spain, which took home the bronze. Members of the Israeli team include Marhu Teferi and Gashau Ayale, both Ethiopian-born Israelis, as well as Omer Ramon, Yimer Getahun and Girmaw Amare.
Israel’s Olympic Committee said in a statement that it was “moved to tears to experience the exciting continuity of Israeli sports on Munich soil” 50 years after the massacre, The Times of Israel reported.
In individual races, Teferi won a silver medal and Ayale a bronze. The gold medal went to Germany’s Richard Ringer, who clocked in at 2:10.21, two seconds ahead of Teferi, followed by Ayale, who was a further six seconds behind.
“History in the European championships,” said Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper of the Israeli team’s accomplishments, according to The Times of Israel. He called their victories “tremendous achievements for Israel” and added: “We are proud of you!”
Israeli runner Maor Tiyouri finished in 28th place in the women’s individual marathon while Ethiopian-Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter won the bronze medal in the 10,000-meter race, in which Teferi’s wife Selamawit also competed.
Survivors of the 11 Israelis killed at the 1972 Olympics announced earlier this month that they plan to boycott a ceremony marking the attack’s 50th anniversary, scheduled for Sept. 5 in Munich, because of disagreement with the German government regarding the amount of compensation they should receive. The families have called the amount offered by Germany “an insult.”
