1957 Maccabiah Games

5th Maccabiah
Nations participating 20
Debuting countries  Mexico
Athletes participating 980
Opening city Ramat Gan, Israel
Officially opened by Yitzhak Ben Zvi
Main venue Ramat Gan Stadium
<  4th Maccabiah 6th Maccabiah  >

Twenty countries sent 980 athletes to compete in the 1957 5th Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish athletics competition similar to the Olympics.

The presence of a large number of world-class Jewish athletes elevated the quality of competition. The athletes had been housed in the newly built Maccabiah Village.

Mexico sent its first contingent of athletes.

Rosenberg fighting for France lived to that time in Germany, but Germany didn't have a team in that Maccabiah, so Rosenberg fought for France.

History

The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932.[1]

Notable medalists

Female runners at the Games.

Abie Grossfeld of the United States dominated the Games, winning 7 golds in 7 gymnastics events: AA, R, PH, FX, HB, PB, & V.

Angela Buxton of Great Britain, who the year prior had won the doubles title at Wimbledon, won the gold medal in women's singles. In fencing, British Olympian and world champion Allan Jay won three gold medals.[2][3] In track, Harry Kane of Britain won the 400 meter hurdles and took a silver medal in the 200 meter hurdles, with a time of 25.3 seconds.[4][5]

In fencing, American Byron Krieger, 2-time Pan American Games gold medal winner, won individual Gold in sabre and individual Bronze in foil. In swimming, 14-year-old American Jane Katz won the 100m butterfly.[6][7]

In weightlifting, Isaac Berger became the first athlete to establish a world record in the State of Israel, pressing 258 pounds (117 kg) in Featherweight competition for the US, a year after winning an Olympic gold medal.

Ben Helfgott, a concentration camp survivor, won the weightlifting gold medal in the lightweight class for Great Britain for the third Games in a row.

Reuven Helman competed in shot-put, javelin, the decathlon and weightlifting. Helman came in second in 1957 in the Maccabiah Games.

Participating communities

The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.

References

  1. ↑ "The 20th Maccabiah Games: A brief History (Part 1)," The Canadian Jewish News.
  2. ↑ The Canadian Jewish Chronicle
  3. ↑ "Allan Jay"
  4. ↑ "2 U.S. ATHLETES SCORE IN ISRAEL – Engel Is First in Hammer Throw-Laskau Retires After Winning Walk Israeli Team Leads Matza Misses 800-Heats". nytimes.com. 18 September 1957. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  5. ↑ ".". The Leader-Post. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Ishof.Org | Dr. Jane Katz
  7. ↑ "Jane Katz Competing in Maccabiah Games 60 Years After Her First," Swimming World Magazine.
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