Israel is preparing to send a delegation of 85 qualified competitive athletes to the summer Olympics in Tokyo July 2020. It’s the largest delegation yet, and that number will hopefully still grow says Vered Buskila, the Vice President of the Olympic Committee in Israel, and three-time Olympic sailing athlete.
Israeli representatives will showcase their talents and determination spanning eighteen sports like judo, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, sailing, cycling, and for the first time ever, surfing, baseball and equestrian show jumping. There is still hope for Israeli athletes to qualify in track and field, swimming, windsurfing and more.
The 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil had about sixty Israeli delegates, only five who advanced to the final rounds. Israel went home with two bronze medal wins in judo, by Yarden Gerbi and Or Sasson. Buskila hopes that Israel will double its numbers next year and have at least ten finalists advance. “If we can have the best army in the world and the best high-tech in the world, why can’t we have the best athletes?” she says.
