From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 5, 2024
Israel’s flagbearers at Paralympics are Lihi Ben David and Oct. 7 survivor Adam Berdichevsky
Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
Israel’s flagbearers at the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics will be goalball player Lihi Ben David and wheelchair tennis player Adam Berdichevsky, a survivor of the October 7 massacre, the Israel Paralympic Committee announces.
Ben David, 29, who was born visually impaired, competed with Israel’s goalball team in both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She has been playing goalball since age 11, when she joined the national team, and she also trains a group of girls in the sport in southern Israel.
Berdichevsky, 41, lost his leg in 2007 during a boating accident on a trip to Thailand. He represented Israel at the Paralympics in Rio and Tokyo. Berdichevsky is a resident of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, along the Gaza border, where Hamas terrorists killed seven people, taking some of their bodies hostage, and kidnapped five others on October 7, 2023. He and his family were holed up in their reinforced room for 14 hours before being rescued and evacuated to Eilat.
“This is a huge honor for me. It shows appreciation for all the hard work I did over the past six months after everything my family and I went through,” says Berdichevsky in a statement from the Israel Paralympic Committee. “I’m happy that I can represent the Gaza border area after the horrible massacre, as well as the State of Israel, and march at the head of the delegation with the flag of Israel.”
The Paralympics opening ceremony is slated for August 28 in Paris. Israel’s delegation will include at least 28 athletes.
