’10 minutes from Auschwitz’: Israel’s artistic swimmers win gold at European Games

Victory, with Germany taking silver, even more poignant, occurring just a few dozen miles away from the Nazi death camp in Poland

By ToI Staff 24 June 2023, 2:09 pm 5 Edit

Israel's artistic swimming team pose with their gold medals at the European Game, in Krakow, Poland on June 23, 2023 (Israel Swimming Federation)

Israel’s artistic swimmers won a gold medal Friday at the European Games being held in Poland, in a victory hailed as being even more poignant, occurring “just 10 minutes from Auschwitz.”

Israel won gold in the Team Free Routine Combination with Germany grabbing the silver medal and Turkey getting Bronze.

Israeli Olympic Association Chairperson Yael Arad hailed the victory.

“An emotional morning with a first medal for the delegation to the games,” Arad told Channel 13.

“There is nothing more symbolic than standing with your head held high and singing [the Israeli national anthem] Hatikvah just 10 minutes from Auschwitz,” She said, adding that the whole team had “tears in our eyes.”

“We promised to carry the memory of our Jewish brethren and that is what were are doing,” she said.

The games are being hosted in the Polish city of Krakow, some 37 miles (60 kilometers) from the site of the Nazi death camp.

Auschwitz-Birkenau has become a symbol of Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million European Jews, one million of whom died at the camp between 1940 and 1945 along with more than 100,000 non-Jews.