Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or

Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or
נמרוד שפירא בר אור

Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or in 2007
Personal information
Full name Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or
Nationality Israel
Born April 25, 1989 (1989-04-25) (age 22)
Jerusalem, Israel
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 195 pounds
Sport
Sport Swimming
Stroke(s) Freestyle
College team University of Arizona
Medal record
Maccabiah Games
Silver 2009 Israel 100m Freestyle
European Junior
Swimming Championships
Silver 2007 Antwerp 200m Freestyle
Bronze 2007 Antwerp 400m Freestyle

Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or (Hebrew: נמרוד שפירא בר אור‎; born April 25, 1989) is an Israeli swimmer.

He and Arab-Israeli Olympic swimming hopeful Jowan Qupty were high school roommates and best friends. He won a silver medal in the 200 meter freestyle, and a bronze medal in the 400 meter freestyle, at the 2007 European Junior Swimming Championships. He won a silver medal in the 100 meter freestyle at the 2009 Maccabiah Games.

Shapira Bar-Or represented Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle, and has qualified to represent Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Contents

Biography

Shapira Bar-Or is Jewish, and his hometown is Jerusalem, Israel.[1][2][3] Although he played basketball for a top Israeli junior team, a knee injury that he suffered at 11 years of age led him to shift his focus to swimming.[4]

Swimming career

High school

Shapira Bar-Or and fellow Israeli swimmer Jowan Qupty, who is a Christian Israeli Arab, had known each other when they were children, and swum together for the Jerusalem United swim club in Israel.[5][6] They attended The Bolles School, in Jacksonville, Florida, together.[3] There they were roommates for two years, swim team teammates, and became best friends.[7][8][9][5][6] Qupty's father, commenting on the friendship and teamwork between his Christian Arab Israeli son and his son's Jewish Israeli roommate/teammate, said: "Just to see them together after the race jumping and hugging each other; they were so happy. I was looking at them through my tears. Coming from our part of the world, you don't see that."[9] The younger Qupty observed that "people were amazed all the time" that he – a Palestinian – and a Jew could coexist, and Shapira Bar-Or said: "It shows how simple the situation is. If I can live with a Palestinian guy, I'm sure in our country we can live with a couple millions of Palestinians and Israelis together."[6]

In November 2006, he won the 200 yard freestyle (1:38.37) at the Florida State 1A Championships, and was runner-up in the 500 yard freestyle.[10][11][12] He was named Times-Union 2006 Florida All-First Coast Swimmer of the Year.[11][4]

College

After high school, Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or attended the University of Arizona, where he majors in Management Information and Systems in the Eller College of Management.[3] In 2009, he was a silver medalist at the NCAA Championships at College Station, Texas as part of the Arizona Wildcats 800 free relay team (6:11.82), and in 2010, he was a bronze medalist in the same event in Columbus, Ohio.[3][13] He was honored as a member of the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team.[3] He was named the Counsilman-Hunsaker National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week on November 17, 2010, and again honored in 2011 as a member of the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team.[3][14] His fastest times in college competitions, through March 2011, were 19.92 in the 50 yard freestyle (2010), 42.37 in the 100 y freestyle (2011), 46.44 in the 100 y fly (2010), 1:33.50 in the 200 y freestyle (2010), 1:43.71 in the 200 y fly (2010), and 1:44.85 in the 200 y IM (2011).[15]

European Junior Championships

In July 2007, he won a silver medal at the European Junior Swimming Championships in the 200 m freestyle (1.50.36), in Antwerp, Belgium.[16] He finished behind Mikhail Polischuk of Russia. He also won a bronze medal in the 400 m freestyle (3:54.83).[17][18]

Israeli national championships and records

In August 2007, he won a gold medal in the 400 m freestyle (3:55.23), and established the Israeli 18-and-under national record in the 200 m freestyle (1:50.06) at the Israeli Summer National Championships.[19][20]

In March 2008, he swam on the team that set a new Israeli record in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, at 7:20.87, at the 2008 European Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands.[21] In July 2008, he set a new Israeli record in the 200 meter freestyle, at 1:48.76 at the Croatian Open Championships in Dubrovnik, Croatia.[22] He broke his own national record in the 200 meter freestyle the next month at the Olympics.[23]

In July 2009, he set a new Israeli record in the 100 meter freestyle, at 48.93, at the World Championships in Rome, Italy.[24] Also at the 2009 World Championships, he swam on the team that set a new Israeli record in the 4×100 meter medley relay, at 3:36.23.[25]

In August 2009, he won gold medals in the 50 m (22.75; surpassing the 14-year-old former record of 22.79 established by Yoav Bruck), 100 m (49.49), 200 m (1:49.36), and 400 m freestyle races at the Israeli Summer National Championships at Wingate Institute in Netanya.[26][27][28][29] In July 2010, he won gold medals in the 50 m, 100 m (49.89), 200 m, and 400 m freestyle races at the Israeli Long Course National Championships.[30]

Olympics

Shapira Bar-Or competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.[31] In the 100 meter freestyle he swam a 49.10 (a national record) and came in 26th, and in the 200 meter freestyle he swam a 1:47.78 (also a national record) in the first heat, and a 1:48.16 in the semi-finals, coming in 15th.[32] He was the first Israeli swimmer to compete in an Olympic semi-finals.[3]

He will compete on behalf of Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics, in London.[33]

Maccabiah Games

He won a silver medal in the 100 m freestyle (49.02; behind Jason Lezak, and a new Israeli record) at the July 2009 Maccabiah Games.[34][35]

References

  1. ^ "Israeli Sports". Jewish Sports Review 8 (87): 21. September/October 2011, accessed September 16, 2011. 
  2. ^ "Jews in the Olympics: 63 Athletes, 7 Countries". Jewishinstlouis.org. http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/page.aspx?id=181152. Retrieved November 13, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or". Arizonawildcats.com. http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/shapirabaror_nimrod00.html. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b David Johnson (December 21, 2006). "All-First Coast Swimming Teams: Shapira Bar-Or switches from free throws to freestyle". The Florida Times Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122106/hig_6948051.shtml. Retrieved November 19, 2011. 
  5. ^ a b Francine King (December 24, 2007). "Rising to the challenge". The Florida Times Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122407/hig_228775936.shtml. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  6. ^ a b c Patrick Finley (March 22, 2010). "Israeli finds peace in, out of pool". Arizona Daily Star. http://azstarnet.com/sports/college/wildcats/article_d0c8b8f9-b9dd-5477-9536-915449c2b331.html. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  7. ^ David Johnson (December 21, 2006). "All-First Coast Swimming Teams: Shapira Bar-Or switches from free throws to freestyle". The Florida Times Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122106/hig_6948051.shtml. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  8. ^ Francine King (October 20, 2006). "Bolles sweeps boys, girls". The Florida Times Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/102006/hig_5719024.shtml. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b Dan Scanlan (April 21, 2007). "Swim team shows unity exists in unlikely places". The Florida Times Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/042107/ner_9068291.shtml. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  10. ^ Jason Marsteller (November 9, 2006). "National Independent School Record Falls at Florida Meets". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/12513.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  11. ^ a b Francine King (September 18, 2007). "High school swimming and diving watch". The Florida Times Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/091807/hig_200402116.shtml. Retrieved November 19, 2011. 
  12. ^ "In for the long haul". Herald Tribune. December 24, 2006. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061224/NEWS/612240588/1006/SPORTS. Retrieved November 19, 2011. 
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ "Shapira Bar-Or Garners National Swimmer Award". Collegeswimming.com. November 17, 2010. http://www.collegeswimming.com/news/2010/nov/17/shapira-bar-or-garners-national-swimmer-award/. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  15. ^ "Nimrod Shapira bar-or Overview". Collegeswimming.com. http://www.collegeswimming.com/swimmer/7392/. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  16. ^ "Sports Shorts". Haaretz. July 23, 2007. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/sports-shorts-1.226030. Retrieved November 19, 2011. 
  17. ^ Oene Rusticus (July 23, 2007). "Lizzie Simmonds Tears Up Final Day of European Junior Championships". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15228.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  18. ^ Oene Rusticus (July 18, 2007). "Records for Yuliya Efimova and Daniel Gyurta During First Day of European Junior Championships". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15180.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  19. ^ Buky Chass (August 9, 2007). "Two More National Records Wiped Out at Israeli Summer Nationals". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15416.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  20. ^ Buky Chass (August 7, 2007). "Israeli Summer Nationals Get Going With Women's 100 Breast National Record by Nastia Korotkov". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15398.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  21. ^ "Summary Relay". omegatiming.com. http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2008/eindhoven2008/C74B_ResSummaryRelay_36_Heats_Men_4x200_Free.pdf. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  22. ^ "Croatian Open Championships: Several More National Records Tumble". Swimming World Magazine. July 14, 2008. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18535.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  23. ^ "Beijing: Swimmer Nimrod Shapira-Bar Or sets new Israeli record". Ynetnews.com. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3580324,00.html. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  24. ^ "לגל נבו בדרך לחצי הגמר ברומא – ספורט" (in Hebrew). Ynet. July 29, 2009. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3753860,00.html. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  25. ^ "Men's 4x 100m Medley Relay; 13th FINA World Championships; July 17 – August 2, 2009; Rome (ITA)". omegatiming.com. http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2009/Roma2009/C74B_ResSummaryRelay_40_Heats_Men_4x100_Medley.pdf. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  26. ^ Buky Chass (August 8, 2009). "Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or, Yulia Banech Named Outstanding Swimmers at Israeli Summer Nationals; Shapira Bar-Or Breaks Longest Standing Israeli Record". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22013.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  27. ^ Buky Chass (August 7, 2009). "Yulia Banech Downs Another Israeli Record". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22005.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  28. ^ Buky Chass (August 6, 2009). "Yulia Banech Lowers Israeli Record at Summer Nationals". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21994.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  29. ^ "Sports Shorts". Haaretz. August 9, 2009. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/sports-shorts-1.281650. Retrieved November 19, 2011. 
  30. ^ Buky Chass (July 27, 2010). "Israel Long Course Nationals: Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or Wins Four, Amit Ivry Tops Three". Swimming World Magazine. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24641.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  31. ^ "Israel at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games". Sports-reference.com. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ISR/summer/2008/. Retrieved November 14, 2011. 
  32. ^ "Nimrod Shapira Biography and Olympic Results". Sports-reference.com. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sh/nimrod-shapira-1.html. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  33. ^ "Israel swimmer Gal Nevo qualifies for 2012 London Summer Olympics; Nevo becomes second Israeli to qualify for 2012 Olympics, joining Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or.". Haaretz. July 27, 2011. http://www.haaretz.com/news/sports/israel-swimmer-gal-nevo-qualifies-for-2012-london-summer-olympics-1.375538. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  34. ^ "USA Sectionals, Maccabiah Games, World Championships Results on The Morning Swim Show News Segment". Swimming World Magazine. July 20, 2009. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21734.asp. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  35. ^ Talshir, Uri (November 4, 2011). "Lezak, Barnea easily demolish swimming records". http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/lezak-barnea-easily-demolish-swimming-records-1.280318. Retrieved November 19, 2011. 

External links