The Israeli delegation to the European Athletics Championships in Rome celebrated a major achievement on Sunday after the marathon team won the silver medal in the team half marathon event.
Maru Teferi (fourth place), Gashau Ayale (seventh place), and Girmaw Amare (ninth place) all finished in the top ten, securing the team's second-place finish behind Italy.
This marks Israel's second-ever team medal, following their gold in Munich. The three athletes, who have already secured their spots for the Paris Olympics, celebrated with the Israeli flag, chanting "Go Israel." The reason for the half marathon instead of a full marathon at this championship is due to the proximity to the Paris Olympics. Recovering from a full marathon in less than two months to compete again in the Olympics would be nearly impossible.
Girmaw Amare commented on the release of four hostages from Gaza on Saturday during Operation Arnon: "When I heard the hostages were released yesterday, I got chills all over my body, as if a family member had returned from captivity. Our hearts go out to the soldier who fell in the rescue operation. It’s not easy being underground without sunlight or fresh air in an unfamiliar place, so we were happy despite the sadness."
Gashau Ayale said, "It’s a great honor to represent our country and raise the flag wherever we compete. I’m proud to be part of this talented and deep team, and we are thrilled with our achievement."