2009 Maccabiah Games


The 2009 Maccabiah Games, the 18th incarnation of the Maccabiah Games, were held in July 2009. According to the organizing committee these were the largest games held yet. These Games were the world's fifth-largest sporting event, behind the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Police and Fire Games, and Universiade. On the 13th of July, more than 6,000 Jewish athletes from all over the world joined Team Israel's 3,000 participants at the Ramat Gan Stadium in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel, for the opening ceremony.

History

The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932. In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee.

Notable competitors

Greco-Roman wrestler Lindsey Durlacher was the flagbearer for the US, and Olympic pole vaulter Jillian Schwartz was one of the US banner bearers. US Olympic champion swimmer Jason Lezak won four gold medals, while setting four Maccabiah records, and was named the most outstanding male athlete of the Games. American basketball player Dan Grunfeld led the US Open Men's Basketball team to a gold medal over Israel, as college basketball coach Bruce Pearl coached the team. American Max Fried, who in 2017 became a major league baseball player with the Atlanta Braves, won a gold medal with the Team USA Juniors baseball team.
The American delegation arrived two weeks prior to the games to hold practice sessions at a cost of more than two and a half million dollars.
Israeli champion Laetitia Beck won an individual gold medal and a team gold medal in golf at the Games. Israeli swimmer Amit Ivry won a gold medal in the Women's 100m butterfly.
Chess grandmaster Judit Polgár from Hungary, the number 1 rated woman in the world, was named the Maccabiah's most outstanding female athlete of the Games. Brazilian judoka and future Olympic medalist Felipe Kitadai won a bronze medal, beating Lindsey Durlacher along the way.
Bensiyon Songavkar played for Team India, which won a silver medal in cricket.

Participating communities

*Reference.
The following are the 31 sports which were contested at these Games.