2001 Maccabiah Games

Maccabiah Infobox
Name = Games of the XVI Maccabiah

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Size = 150
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Opening city = Jerusalem, Israel
Nations participating = 46
Athletes participating = 5,281
Events = 38
Opening ceremony = July 16 2001
Closing ceremony = July 23 2001
Officially opened by = Keren Leibovitch
Stadium = Teddy Kollek StadiumFor the 2001 16th Maccabiah Games ( _he. המכביה ה16 ישראל תשס"א), the Opening Ceremony was held in Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium, while the re-building process of the collapsed bridge and investigations into the collapse continued.

It is considered a 'smaller games' for three reasons: attendance was significantly lower, particularly from the Australians (it sent only about 170 athletes, compared with around 400 in 1997); it was run at the height of the Second Intifada (and straight after the infamous Dolphinarium bombing—the largest of the Intifada—that killed 21 Israelis, mostly high school students); and not all wounds had been healed after the collapse of the bridge.

The 16th Maccabiah attracted more than 5,000 athletes from 46 countries.

The 2001 games opened with a sellout crowd of more than 25,000 spectators.

The Games saw the addition of juniors futsal and girls’ soccer, as well as the return of women’s basketball.

At the opening of the Games on July 16 2001, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared:

"Approximately 2,100 years ago, the Maccabees lit the torch in Modi'in and carried it to the gates of Jerusalem, in the Jewish people's struggle for freedom in its homeland. The same fire of freedom and faith, which was not extinguished during 2,000 years, is, today, passed on to you.... You represent the spirit of the Maccabees who fought for Jerusalem and for Jewish rights and independence 2,167 years ago."

[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:QH7ho71lVFEJ:www.bibleinterp.com/articles/Cline-Use-Abuse_of_Ancient_Conflicts_2.htm+maccabiah+bar+revolt&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us]

U.S. Olympic swimming gold medallist and former world record holder, Lenny Krayzelburg, earned gold and set a new Maccabiah record in the 100-meter backstroke. He also won a gold medal in the 4 X 100M medley relay. Krayzelburg passed up going to the world championships in Japan to participate in the Maccabiah, and was selected to carry in the flag for the United States at the opening ceremonies. [http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:_n1hhBxR-gYJ:www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php%3Fid%3D7248+2001+%22Maccabiah+Games%22+gold+silver+bronze+russia+israel&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us]

Russian Olympic fencing gold medalists Sergei Scharikov and Maria Mazina, coached by former Soviet Olympic fencing gold medalist Mark Rakita, won Maccabiah gold medals in men's sabre and women's foil. Vadim Gutzeit of Ukraine, who nine years earlier won an Olympic gold medal in team sabre, won a silver medal in sabre, as he lost to Scharikov. Jonathan Tiomkin of the US, who later was a Pan American Games gold medalist, won silver medals in team foil and team épée.

Participating Communities

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

Medal count

Links

* [http://www.jewishsports.net/the_maccabiah_games.htm Summaries of each of the Games]
* [http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=7248 "Phoenix of the Games," 8/3/01]
* [http://www.jafi.org.il/agenda/2001/english/wk27/4.asp "16th Maccabiah Concludes with Colorful Ceremony," 2001]

Footnotes