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.
![Ami Dadon won 4 medals in the 2018 World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships in Dublin. Photo courtesy of Israel Paralympics Committee](https://www.israel21c.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ami-dadon.jpg)
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.
![The Israeli Paralympic badminton team in Brazil, August 2018. Photo courtesy of Israel Paralympics Committee](https://www.israel21c.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/badminton5.jpg)
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.