Prefer Jewish News on Google
Swimmer becomes late addition to Olympic squad
Keren Siebner to form part of Israeli 4x100m freestyle relay team after Belarusian registration error.
Keren Siebner has become the 48th member of the Israeli Olympic delegation thanks to a registration mistake by the Belarusian national team.
The swimmer had missed out on Rio in heart-breaking fashion – missing out on qualifying for the 200m butterfly event by one-hundredth of a second. But a registration mistake by Belarus means Israel will now have a 4x100m freestyle relay team in Brazil, which will see Siebner teaming up alongside Andrea Murez, Zohar Shikler and Amit
Ivri – all of whom had already qualified for other individual events.
Set to take part in her first Olympic Games, the 26-year-old will be full of confidence, having won eight gold medals at last week’s national championships. Speaking about her late reprieve, she said: “This is just an amazing dream come true, it’s such good news, I’m still struggling to realise it’s happened.”
“This past month (and year…) has been like a roller-coaster ride, but I’m so happy the ending is going to be at the highest point I could ever dream of – the Olympic Games! I’m so overwhelmed!”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
