The Israeli Bobsled and Skeleton Team () 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."שוברים את הקרח. נבחרת המזחלות של ישראל" ("Breaking the ice. Israel's sled team"). Ynet Sport. Amir Bognforsm: 20/02/2004
The team is currently represented in bobsleigh by teams piloted by Dave Nicholls, Olympian AJ Edelman, and to-be-announced female teams and in skeleton by Georgina Cohen, Joel Seligstein, and Jared Firestone.
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.
The team qualified for the 2018 Olympic Games, in the sport of skeleton and were represented by AJ Edelman.
Bobsled team The Israeli National Bobsleigh Team was incorporated in 2002" Skeleton sliding to South Korea: A new form of Jewish ambassadorship". Jerusalem Post, By MATTHEW AXEL August 13, 2015 and have represented Israel in the FIBT World Bobsleigh Championships on three occasions. SeasonBobsleigh Team MembersWorld Championships Location2003/2004 Aaron Zeff David Greaves"Watchmen rock for Israeli bobsled team". Winnipeg Free Press, 09/25/2003 John Frank Moshe HorowitzKoenigssee, Germany2004/2005 Aaron Zeff David Greaves John Frank Moshe HorowitzCalgary, Canada2011/12Omri GevaDNQ2018/2019 Dave Nicholls AJ Edelman (regional competition only)Whistler, BC2019/20Dave NichollsDNQ2020/21Dave Nicholls AJ Edelman TBA Female Team
Bobsled alumni include Zeff, Frank. and Greaves as well as Moshe Horowitz."אליפות העולם במזחלות" ("World Championship sleigh"). Haaretz, February 18, 2005.
Skeleton team BSI added Skeleton to its program in 2009.
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) competed through the remainder of the PyeongChang Olympic cycle. SeasonAthletesIBSF World Championships/Olympics RepresentativeWorld Championships/Olympics Location2010/2011Brad ChalupskiBrad ChalupskiKoenigssee, Germany2011/2012Brad ChalupskiBrad ChalupskiLake Placid, USA2012/2013Brad ChalupskiNo RepresentativeSt. Moritz, Switzerland2013/2014Brad ChalupskiDid not qualifySochi, Russia (Olympic Winter Games)2014/2015Adam (AJ) EdelmanNo RepresentativeWinterberg, Germany2015/2016 Adam (AJ) Edelman Brad Chalupski Joel Seligstein Larry SidneyAdam (AJ) EdelmanIgls, Austria2016/2017 Adam (AJ) Edelman Brad Chalupski Joel Seligstein Larry SidneyAdam (AJ) EdelmanKoenigssee, Germany2017/2018 Adam (AJ) Edelman Brad Chalupski Joel Seligstein Larry SidneyAdam (AJ) EdelmanPyeongchang, Korea (Olympic Winter Games)2018/2019Joel Seligstein Georgie CohenJoel Seligstein Georgie CohenWhistler, BC
Israel has competed in the Skeleton World Championships in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2019. 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."The bare bones of Israeli bobsleigh and skeleton". Jerusalem Post, 02/17/2012http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=63&L=0&event=26804 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 to secure an Olympic berth.
Olympic Games Israel qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea, and was represented by national champion Adam Edelman.
The team qualified again for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but it was disqualified after the Israeli Olympic Committee withdrew the team. One athlete had claimed to be ill, a claim supported by a medical check and signed affidavit, to allow a substitute to complete in his place. It was later revealed that the athlete had falsely claimed to be sick. As substitutions are only permitted for legitimate illness or injury under Olympic rules, the Israeli Olympic Committee barred the team from competing further.
Organizational structure The Federation President is David Greaves, and the Secretary General is Dov 'Dubi' Shlenger.
See also Sports in Israel
References
External links Team Site FIBT Microsite