 | |
| Host city | Tel Aviv,Israel |
|---|---|
| Nations | 35[1] |
| Debuting countries |  Bermuda Puerto Rico New Zealand |
| Athletes | 3,500[1] |
| Events | 31 sports[1] |
| Opening | July 7, 1981[1] |
| Closing | July 16, 1981, in Jerusalem; Israeli PresidentYitzhak Navon[1] |
| Opened by | Torch lit byTal Brody[2] |
| Main venue | Ramat Gan Stadium |
The11thMaccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes toIsrael from 35 nations.[1] The Opening Ceremony was held on July 7, 1981, before a crowd of 53,000 and Israeli Prime MinisterMenachem Begin inRamat Gan Stadium, with 3,500 Jewish athletes parading past him.[1] RepresentativeJack Kemp (R; New York) and a supporter of Israel, marched with the United States team.[1] Israel won the most medals (199), with 65 gold. The United States won 188 medals, 85 gold. South Africa, Britain, and Canada had the next-most total medals.
The 31-sports menu includedrugby union,[3]sailing andsoftball for the first time. New facilities for squash, wrestling, karate, and judo were introduced.
The Maccabiah Games were first held in1932.[4] In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, theInternational Olympic Committee.[5][6][7] Among other Olympic and world champions, swimmerMark Spitz won 10 Maccabiah gold medals before earning his first of nine Olympic gold medals.[8]
_-_Israeli_High_Jumping_Champion_Gideon_Harmat.jpg)
In gymnastics, AmericanMitch Gaylord won 6gold medals; he later went on to winOlympic gold. American OlympianAbie Grossfeld was Team USA's coach.[9]
American tennis playersBrad Gilbert (in doubles, withJon Levine, over fellow AmericansRick Meyer and Paul Bernstein),Andrea Leand, andJeff Klaparda earned gold medals.[10][11][12]Justin Gimelstob was an assistant coach of Team USA's tennis squad.[13] IsraeliShlomo Glickstein, who carried the Maccabiah torch into the stadium for the opening ceremony, won the men's singles in tennis (defeating Brad Gilbert), the first Israeli to win a Maccabiah tennis championship.[14][1][15] AmericansDana Gilbert andDonna Rubin won the women's doubles.[14]
In basketball,David Blatt,Danny Schayes (the first round draft pick of the NBA'sUtah Jazz; carried the US flag in the opening ceremony),Al Walker, andWillie Sims won a gold medal with Team USA.[16][17][18]
American fencersPaul Friedberg won a gold medal for the US in saber,Peter Schifrin won a silver medal in épée, andElaine Cheris won an individual silver medal and a team gold medal in foil. British sabre fencerPaul Klenerman, who three years later fenced in the Olympics, also medaled.[19][20] Canadian future OlympianShelley Steiner won a gold medal.[21]
In track and field,James Espir ofGreat Britain, who earlier that year had run a mile in 3 minutes 56.7 seconds, thereby becoming the fastestJewish miler ever, won the 1500 metres and 5000 metres gold medals on successive days.[22][23][24]Maya Kalle-Bentzur of Israel won the gold medal in the women'slong jump, and Israeli future OlympianYehuda Zadok won the gold medal in the 10,000 m race.[25]Boris Djerassi of the United States won a gold medal in the hammer throw.[26]Dave Edge of Canada, a long-distance runner who later competed in two Olympics, won a silver medal in the 10,000 m and a bronze medal in the mini-marathon.[27] CanadianGordon Orlikow, who later was a bronze medalist in the decathlon at the Pan American Games, won a bronze medal in thedecathlon and a silver medal in the110 m hurdles.[15][28]
Swimming for Israel at the age of 14, Israeli future OlympianHadar Rubinstein won gold medals in the women's 100 m butterfly, and in the women's 200 m butterfly.[29][30][31][32] In swimming Lior Birkan won 3 gold and 2 silver medals. MexicanHelen Plaschinski won gold medals in swimming in the 100 and 200 m freestyle.[24]
Mike Jeffries andSeth Roland represented the United States in soccer, winning a silver medal.[33][14]Eli Ohana andRafi Cohen represented Israel, winning a bronze medal.
In golf, AmericanCorey Pavin won two gold medals.[34][35][36][37]
Mark Berger, who three years later was to go on to win a silver medal in the Olympics, won a gold medal in wrestling, and a silver medal in judo.[27][21] Canadian future OlympianGarry Kallos won two gold medals in wrestling, as did Canadian OlympianHoward Stupp.[21]
In cricket,Alan Ezekowitz competed for England.[38]
A total of 35 nations participated, in 31 sports, at 58 locations throughout Israel.[1][15] Israel won the most medals (199), with 65 gold.[14] The United States won 188 medals, 85 gold.[14] South Africa, Britain, and Canada had the next-most total medals.[15]
The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium Bermuda
Brazil
Canada (110)[39]
Colombia
Chile
Denmark
Ecuador
Finland
Great Britain
Greece
Guam
India
Israel (largest delegation)
Italy
Mexico
Netherlands New Zealand
Peru Puerto Rico
Republic of Ireland
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Uruguay
United States (372; 2nd-largest delegation)[1]
US Virgin Islands
Venezuela
West Germany{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)