Israeli athletes garnered a total of 14 medals in international Paralympic competitions so far this month.
Ami Dadon won gold medals in the 100-meter men’s freestyle and men’s 150-meter individual medley at the World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships in Dublin. The 17-year-old swimmer also won silver medals in the men’s 50-meter breaststroke and men’s 200-meter freestyle.
Inbal Pezaro, 31, won a gold medal in the 200-meter women’s freestyle swim and a bronze medal (later upgraded to silver because of a change in classification of one of the other competitors) in the women’s 100-meter freestyle. She has represented Israel at the Paralympic Games since 2004. Pezaro and Dadon both train at Israel’s Ilan Haifa club with Coach Jacob Bininson.
Mark Malyar, 18, won a silver medal in men’s 400-meter freestyle and bronze medals in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke and 100-meter backstroke.
Israel’s squad of 11 swimmers also includes Iyad Shalabi, bronze winner for the men’s 150-meter individual medley; Erel Halevi, bronze medalist in the 400-meter women’s freestyle; and Yoav Valinsky, bronze medalist for the men’s 400-meter freestyle.
The European Championship, August 13-19, drew 400 swimmers from 37 countries.
Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Israeli Paralympic athlete Amir Levy won a gold medal in the International Badminton Tournament. A new competitive event, badminton will be added to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
This is the second year that Levy, who trains under Coach Reuven Moses at Beit Halochem in Jerusalem, won the International Badminton Tournament. Another Israeli, Nina Goroetsky, won a silver medal in Brazil.
The Paralympics are organized in parallel with the main Olympic Games and are held in both summer and winter.