Israeli swimmers win 2 more golds at Tokyo Paralympics, bringing total medal count to 9
Iyad Shalabi reacts during a medal ceremony at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre at the 2020 Paralympics, Sept. 2, 2021. By Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
(JTA) — Israeli swimmers Iyad Shalabi and Ami Dadaon each won gold medals at the Paralympics on Thursday, adding to Israel’s historic medal showing.
So far, Israel has won nine medals — six of which are gold, and eight of which come from swimming events.
On the first day of competition, Shalabi had already made history by becoming the first Arab-Israeli athlete to medal in the Olympics or Paralympics. His second gold medal came on day nine in the men’s 50-meter backstroke S1 category. Shalabi was born deaf to a Muslim family in Shfar’am, in northern Israel, and this is his fourth Paralympics.
Dadaon won his third medal on day nine, winning gold in the men’s 50-meter freestyle S4 category, and set a new Paralympic record in the process. He had already won gold in the men’s 200-meter freestyle S4 category and silver in the men’s 150-meter individual medley SM4 category.
Israel’s two other swimming golds were won by Mark Malyar. Before this year’s Paralympics, Israel had not won a gold medal in Paralympic swimming.
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