Yael Arad, Israel’s first Olympic medallist, became the first woman selected to be the President of the Olympic Committee of Israel.
Arad, who won the silver medal in the middleweight judo tournament at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, is also the first medallist in any sport to reach the presidency of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).
The only candidate for the position, she will replace the outgoing president, Yigal Carmi, who chaired the NOC for nine years and will continue to lead the Israel Olympic House project. 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.
Arad has volunteered with the Israel Olympic Committee in recent years and coached the national judo delegation in the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Photo credit: Olympic Committee of Israel
