Israel national bobsleigh team

The Israeli Bobsled and Skeleton Team (Hebrew: נבחרת ישראל במזחלות קרח‎) is the official bobsleigh and skeleton team of Israel. The team is the competitive wing of Bobsled/Skeleton Israel (BSI, formerly Israeli Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF)), which Aaron Zeff, former National Football League player John Frank, and David Greaves founded in 2002.[1]

Bobsled and Skeleton are run under the same international federation, the IBSF (International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, formerly known as FIBT). Therefore BSI ministers both the bobsled and skeleton teams (although the bobsled team disbanded after 2006).

The team successfully qualified for the 2018 Olympic Games, and will represent Israel for the first time in the Olympics in a sliding sport.

Bobsled Team

The Israeli National Bobsleigh Team was incorporated in 2002[2] and twice represented Israel in the FIBT World Bobsleigh Championships[3].

Season IBSF World Championships Representatives World Championships Location
2003/2004 Koenigssee, Germany
2004/2005
  • Aaron Zeff
  • David Greaves[1]
  • John Frank
  • Moshe Horowitz
 Calgary, Canada

Bobsled alumni include Zeff, Frank. and Greaves as well as Moshe Horowitz. [5]

Skeleton Team

BSI added Skeleton to its program in 2009.[2]

In the 2015/16 season Israel fielded its largest team to date and held its first National Championships. All four athletes (AJ Edelman, Joel Seligstein, Larry Sidney, and Brad Chalupski) have returned for the 2017/18 season.

Season Athletes IBSF World Championships/Olympics Representative World Championships/Olympics Location
2010/2011 Brad Chalupski Brad Chalupski Koenigssee, Germany
2011/2012 Brad Chalupski Brad Chalupski Lake Placid, USA
2012/2013 Brad Chalupski No Representative St. Moritz, Switzerland
2013/2014 Brad Chalupski Did not qualify Sochi, Russia (Olympic Winter Games)
2014/2015 Adam (AJ) Edelman No Representative Winterberg, Germany
2015/2016 Adam (AJ) Edelman Igls, Austria
2016/2017 Adam (AJ) Edelman Koenigssee, Germany
2017/2018 Adam (AJ) Edelman Pyeongchang, Korea (Olympic Winter Games)

Israel has competed in the Skeleton World Championships in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017.[6] Skeleton alumni include Omri Geva and Aliyah Snyder.

On December 2, 2011, Chalupski earned Israel's first ever medal in Skeleton, finishing in fifth place at the Americas Cup race in Lake Placid, NY.[7][8] Chalupski is also the first skeleton athlete to represent Israel in the World Cup.

In the 2017/2018 season Israel won 3 sliding medals. Joel Seligstein took a 5th place medal at the North Americas cup race in Calgary, Canada, and Adam (AJ) Edelman took home 2 fifth place medals at the two North Americas Cup races in Lake Placid, NY.

Olympic Games

Israel has qualified for the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Korea, and will be represented by national champion Adam (AJ) Edelman.

Organizational Structure

The Federation President is David Greaves, and the Secretary General is Dov 'Dubi' Shlenger.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "שוברים את הקרח. נבחרת המזחלות של ישראל" ("Breaking the ice. Israel's sled team"}. Ynet Sport. Amir Bognforsm: 20/02/2004
  2. 1 2 " Skeleton sliding to South Korea: A new form of Jewish ambassadorship". Jerusalem Post, By MATTHEW AXEL August 13, 2015
  3. ↑ "Israeli Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation". bobskelyisrael.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  4. ↑ "Watchmen rock for Israeli bobsled team". Winnipeg Free Press, 09/25/2003
  5. ↑ "אליפות העולם במזחלות" ("World Championship sleigh"). Haaretz, February 18, 2005.
  6. ↑ http://www.ibsf.org/races-results/results/rankings.html?rankname=5
  7. ↑ "The bare bones of Israeli bobsleigh and skeleton". Jerusalem Post, 02/17/2012
  8. ↑


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