Her father was an Israeli record holder in the shot put and now his daughter has become an Olympic champion. Amit Elor, a 20-year-old Jewish American wrestler, won the gold medal on the wrestling mat in Paris on Tuesday.
As expected, Elor became the youngest Olympic wrestling champion after holding the world champion title for the past two years. She was the clear favorite to win a gold medal in the women's 68 kg competition.
Elor is the youngest daughter of two Israelis who immigrated to the U.S. in 1980. Her father, Yair, a former Israeli shot put champion, moved to America with his wife Elana and they raised a family of magnificent wrestlers. Amit, the youngest of six children had no choice but to pursue a wrestling career after being hooked on the sport by her older siblings Ronny and Orry, who won wrestling competitions as teenagers.
"I was shocked by the October 7 brutal Hamas attack and deeply saddened and concerned about everything that followed," she told Ynet. "The enormous pain, suffering and loss is unbearable. If my wrestling at the Olympics can bring even just a little joy in Israel, it will make all the hard work and sacrifices worth it and extra special. I am an American proudly wrestling for the U.S., but in my heart I am also wrestling for Israel.
Lopez's achievement
The legendary Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez accomplished the unimaginable on Tuesday and won his fifth Olympic gold medal in a row at the age of 41. At the end, he waved his shoes as a sign of retirement on a high note.
Lopez, known in the industry as "The Terrible", defeated the Chilean wrestler Yasmani Acosta in the final 6:0. Acosta is also a veteran athlete at the age of 36 and won his first medal after losing to Lopez.
For 16 years now, no heavyweight wrestler could challenge the Cuban giant (1.98 m) who uses his brute strength and excellent technical ability. His first Olympic gold medal was achieved in Beijing 2008, and since then he has also won in London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and retires after winning gold for the fifth time in Paris 2024.
Since the Tokyo Olympics, Lopez has not competed at all in international competitions to preserve his body. His long sabbatical from the wrestling mat did not prevent him from winning the gold on Tuesday.
Lopez beat the Israeli wrestler Yuri Evseichik in the early stage of the wrestling competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Lopez finished that Olympics without a medal, but since then he has won gold in every Olympics in which he participated.