Swimmer Adam Maraana, 20, achieved the Olympic qualifying standard in the 100-meter backstroke at the Trials in Wingate on Thursday, securing his participation in the Paris Olympics.
Maraana, the son of an Arab Muslim father and a Russian mother, will be the third Arab-Israeli athlete ever to compete in the Olympics and the first in 48 years.
Maraana clocked a time of 53.60 seconds, surpassing the qualifying standard of 53.74 seconds. Additionally, he matched the Israeli record set by Yakov Toumarkin in 2017. In August, Maraana won a bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke at the European Under-23 Championships and finished fourth in the 100-meter backstroke.
Previous Arab-Israeli athletes who represented Israel in the Olympics were weightlifter Eduard Meron at the 1960 Rome Olympics and soccer player Jimmy Turk at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Over the years, there has been criticism regarding the absence of Arab athletes in Israel's Olympic delegation, despite their significant presence in the population.
Notably, the qualification of the Israeli soccer team might mean that, for the first time, more than one Arab-Israeli athlete could represent Israel at the Olympics. Mohamed Abu-Rumi has been called up to Guy Luzon's extended squad, and it remains to be seen if he will be included in the final roster.
Unlike the Olympics, the Paralympics have seen broader representation from the Arab community, with notable athletes like swimmer Iyad Shalabi, who won two gold medals in Tokyo, and Elham Mahmid Rosin, who served as captain of the goalball team.