After two weeks of intense competition, Israel wrapped up its participation in the 2024 Paris Paralympics with an impressive tally of 10 medals.
This marks the country’s most excellent Paralympics performance since 2004, when it won 13 medals at the Athens Paralympics. The Paralympic Games, which take place immediately following the Olympic Games, give athletes with disabilities an opportunity to compete at the highest international level.
The honor of bearing Israel’s flag at the closing ceremony was bestowed upon Ami Dadaon, the standout swimmer who emerged as the country’s most decorated athlete at these games, and Gal Hamrani, captain of the women’s national team in goalball, a sport designed for athletes with vision impairment.
Dadaon’s remarkable performance resulted in a personal haul of four medals: two golds, one silver, and one bronze. The goalball team finished in second place during the finals, scoring a silver medal.
Israel strongly showed up in the Olympics, winning medals in various disciplines. Asaf Yasur secured a gold medal in taekwondo, while Guy Sasson captured a bronze medal in wheelchair tennis. Mark Malyar claimed a bronze medal in the 100m (328.08 feet) backstroke event, and Moran Samuel achieved a gold medal in rowing. Additionally, the duo of Saleh Shahin and Shahar Milfelder clinched a bronze medal in mixed rowing.
The achievements of these athletes are particularly poignant given the challenging circumstances facing their home country.
“Thank God, I succeeded in representing the State of Israel and its people. I don’t have many words to describe it,” said Dadaon after winning his first gold medal this year. “Now I know that I’ll be singing Hatikva [Israel’s national anthem] during this time, which is all I wanted.”
The chairman of the Israel Paralympic Committee, Moshe Matalon, shared his thoughts on the delegation’s success.
“In our eyes, Ami and Gal, like all their delegation teammates, moved an entire country and brought great honor to Paralympic sports, to sports in general, and to the entire State of Israel,” he said.
“We are returning home with 10 medals, and we thank all our partners who helped us reach this moment. Without you, it’s doubtful if this would have happened.”
Produced in association with ISRAEL21c
