Israel’s first Olympic medalist Yael Arad makes history by becoming President of her country’s Olympic Committee

Yael Arad, Israel’s first Olympic medalist, became the first woman selected to head the National Olympic Committee.

The Tel Aviv-born Arad won the silver medal in the middleweight judo tournament at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, and dedicated her medal to the victims of the 1972 Munich massacre.

The 54-year-old becomes the first medalist in any sport to reach the presidency of the Israeli Olympic Committee.

Her appointment was a mere formality as she was the only candidate for the position. The outgoing president, Yigal Carmi, presented her with a bouquet of flowers and the bronze keys to the office after her unanimous election, according to the National Olympic Committee website.

Carmi, who chaired the NOC for nine years, will continue to lead the Israel Olympic House project, at Arad’s request. In recent years Arad has served as a member of the executive board of the Olympic Committee and president of the professional committee.

“Tonight, I call on athletes, coaches and women leaders who value sport to stand up and compete for key positions in Israeli sport,” stated Arad who also won medals at the 1991 and 1993 World Championships. In 1993 she was the European champion and was chosen to light the torch at the 1993 Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv.

According to Israel Hayom, in her new role, Arad will work to incorporate Arab athletes into the Israeli delegation with an eye towards the 2024 Games in Paris and the Los Angeles Games in 2028. The last time an Arab represented Israel in the Olympic Games was in Montreal in 1976.

Arad has volunteered with the Israel Olympic Committee in recent years and coached the national judo delegation in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Arad competed in the 1996 Atlanta Games but lost her bronze medal match to South Korean Jung Sung-Sook.