The International Olympics Committee is reviewing online posts by Israeli judoka and medalist Peter Paltchik and may launch an investigation, Swiss media reported on Monday. The committee said it is in contact with Israeli Olympics committee officials over a "sensitive matter," but would not elaborate.
Paltchik won the bronze medal Thursday evening in the up to 100 kg category at the Olympics in Paris.
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Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik wins a bronze medal at the Paris Olympic games
(Photo: Oz Moalem )
In his posts, Paltchik praised IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza and images of artillery shells with the message "from me with pleasure." Yael Arad, head of Israel's Olympic committee, said Paltchik did not write on the shells himself and had deleted those posts on his own accord.
"This was not against any country, it was against the Hamas terror organization," she said.
Paltchik won the bronze medal in the up to 100 kg competition in judo last week, his second Olympic medal after he won the team medal in Tokyo 2020. His coach is Oren Smadga, whose son Omer fell in battle in Gaza in June, and the photos of both of them hugging at the end of the battle for the bronze medal moved everyone. Paltchik defeated the Swiss judoka Daniel Eich to win the bronze medal. He was the flag bearer of the Israeli delegation at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, together with swimmer Andi Morz.
Paltchik burst into tears at the end of the bronze medal match: "I did it for everyone, for all the people of Israel. For Oren, for Daniel, my dear wife, and for my children. I can't describe the feelings in words. Nothing has ever been easy for me. At this time we are going through in the country, I just wanted everyone to be proud of me, that I fought for them, for their flag."