Lebanese Olympians refused to ride on a bus with Israeli athletes to get to the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Summer Games, drawing a reprimand from the International Olympic Committee.
When the Israeli delegation of athletes and coaches tried to board the bus on Aug. 5 to Maracana Stadium, the head of the Lebanese delegation blocked the entrance.
Israeli sailing coach Udi Gal first described the incident in a Hebrew Facebook post.
“I kept on insisting that we board the bus and said that if the Lebanese did not want to board as well they are welcome to leave,” Gal wrote on his Facebook page.
“The bus driver opened the door, but this time the head of the Lebanese delegation blocked the aisle and entrance. The organizers wanted to avoid an international and physical incident and sent us away to a different bus.”
The Lebanese delegation head, Saleem a-Haj Nacoula, told Lebanese media that the Israelis were “looking for trouble” by insisting on boarding the same bus when they had their own transportation. Nacoula was praised in Lebanon as a hero.
The head of the Olympic Committee of Israel, Gili Lustig, said: “The organizing committee was the one that determined the travel arrangements and which bus we would take to the ceremony. The organizing committee saw the rude behavior of the Lebanese delegation head and immediately provided an alternate bus. The behavior of the Lebanese delegation head is in conflict with the Olympic truce.”
On Aug. 7, Israel’s Sports and Culture Minister Miri Regev called on the International Olympic Committee to condemn the Lebanese delegation’s actions. “I am incensed by the incident. It is anti-Semitism pure and simple, and the worst kind of racism,” she told Israel Radio.
At a hearing that same day, the IOC committee warned Nacoula that it would not accept similar behavior in future, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The Israeli delegation made it to the opening ceremony despite the bus incident, and rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin carried the national flag to lead the country’s largest-ever delegation of 47 athletes. — jta
First Israeli to medal in Rio wins bronze in women’s judo
Yarden Gerbi became the first Israeli to medal at the Rio Olympics by earning a bronze in the women’s 63-kg judo competition.
Gerbi, 27, defeated Miku Tashiro of Japan on Aug. 9 for Israel’s first Olympic medal since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, when Shahar Tzuberi won the bronze in sailing.
“The medal is for all of Israel, for everyone who supported me and cheered me on,” Gerbi said, according to Haaretz. “I’m waiting for someone to wake me up. I gave my soul and it paid off. Whoever said you can’t succeed in Israel is wrong.”
Israel narrowly missed another medal in judo on Aug. 8 when Sagi Muki lost to Lasha Shavdatuashvili of Georgia in a bronze-medal match in the men’s 73-kg category. — jta
GOLDEN GIRL: Aly Raisman, seen here competing on Aug. 7, helped power the U.S. women’s gymnastics team to a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rio before claiming a silver medal in the women’s all-around individual competition Aug. 11. It was the second consecutive Olympic team gold for the American women — at the 2012 London Games, the then-18-year-old Jewish gymnast helped her team win with her stunning floor exercise performed to “Hava Nagila,” also winning the individual gold for the routine. Raisman will compete for an individual medal in floor exercise on Aug. 16.