The Olympic Summer Games in Paris will occupy the world’s airwaves from July 26 to August 11. Israel will be among the 206 countries competing for gold, silver and bronze medals. While most of us know Israel’s tragic history at the Olympics—six coaches and five athletes were murdered by terrorists at the 1972 games in Munich—how many of us recall the Jewish state’s history and successes at the Olympics?

1. Israel’s National Olympics Committee was formed in 1933, during the British Mandate. But it wasn’t until 1952 that Israel sent its first delegation of athletes to the summer games in Helsinki.

2. Israel did not compete in the Winter Olympic Games until 1994, in Lillehammer, Norway.

3. Since 1952, Israel has competed at every summer Olympics except the 1980 games in Moscow, which Israel boycotted along with the United States and many other nations in protest of the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.

4. At the 1988 summer games in Seoul, Israeli sailors and brothers Ran and Dan Tortan were thrown off the sailing team after they competed in an event on Yom Kippur—after being instructed by Israel’s National Olympic Committee not to participate.

5. Israel didn’t take home an Olympic medal until 1992, when Judoka Yael Arad won bronze. Today, Arad serves as president of Israel’s National Olympic Committee and as a board member of the International Olympic Committee.

6. The playing of “Hatikvah” and the raising of Israel’s flag that signaled the country’s first gold medal win came in 2004, when Gal Fridman won in men’s windsurfing.

7. In total, up till the Paris games, Israel had won 13 medals at the summer games—three gold, one silver and nine bronze. The country has yet to medal at the winter games. 

Now you know…more about Israel and the Olympics!