TEL AVIV — Against a backdrop of international scrutiny and athletic inexperience, Israel is making Winter Olympics history with its inaugural bobsled team competing at the Milan Cortina Games. The diverse squad comprises former track and field specialists, a rugby player, and skeleton Olympian AJ Edelman, who is recognized as the first Orthodox Jewish Winter Games competitor.
The team’s formation represents a remarkable achievement in athletic perseverance. Most members had zero bobsled experience before this season, including Ward Farwaseh, who is poised to become the first Druze Olympian. Their participation occurs during a period of heightened diplomatic isolation for Israel, with numerous international sports events witnessing boycotts and protests related to the Gaza conflict.
Team leader Edelman, a two-time Olympian from Massachusetts, overcame significant physical challenges including scoliosis and poor balance after being told he would never qualify for winter sports. His relentless determination led to a 2018 skeleton appearance before he embarked on creating Israel’s bobsled program from scratch.
The team faced near-impossible obstacles when Hamas’ October 2023 attack prompted the military draft of most original members. Edelman and Farwaseh rebuilt the roster with Israeli shot-putter Menachem Chen, sprinter Omer Katz, pole vaulter Uri Zisman, and crossfit athlete Itamar Shprinz as coach—who initially needed to research what bobsledding entailed before accepting the position.
Despite these challenges, the team secured their Olympic qualification last month in Lake Placid. They join five other Israeli athletes at the Games, including figure skater Maria Seniuk and skeleton competitor Jared Firestone.
The athletes acknowledge competing amid calls for Israel to receive treatment similar to Russian athletes, who must compete as neutrals without national symbols. The International Olympic Committee has maintained that legal grounds for such measures don’t currently apply to Israel’s case.
Team members express pride in representing their nation despite safety concerns, with Zisman noting his mother’s worries about displaying the Star of David. Their participation establishes foundational infrastructure for future Israeli winter athletes and embodies what Edelman calls “Shul Runnings”—a Jewish adaptation of the Jamaican bobsled story immortalized in “Cool Runnings.”