FOR THE RECORD ISRAELI OLYMPIANS PARALYMPICS page 07 Membership: Hapoel Konstantin Semyonov Age: 27 Category: Pole vault Achievements: First at the Hapoel Games in Tel Aviv with a 5.70 meter jump. Coach: Pavel Kogan Training: Wingate In- stitute and the Athletics Stadium in Tel Aviv Occupation: Coach Windsurfing Gal Friedman Age: 21 Achievements: Second Tel Aviv Residence: Holon Also competing: Anat Fabrikant Age: 20 Achievements: In 1995, she ranked 13th, and eighth for the country at the European Champi- onship in Sweden Anat Fabrikant and 32nd at the World Champion- ship; 18th, and 10th for the country at the World Champi- onship in Brazil this year. Training: Tel Aviv marina and Hadar Yosef stadium. Membership: Hapoel Tel Aviv Residence: Ramat- Hasharon at the European Cham- pionship in 1995 and second at the World Championship in Haifa this year. Coach: Gur Steinberg Training: Sedot Yam Membership: Hapoel So- ciety Cesarea Marine Gal Friedman Center Residence: Karkur Wrestling Gotcha Tzitzuashvili Age: 23 Category: Greek-Roman style Achievements: Silver at the European Champi- onships in 1994 and at the World Championship in 1995; bronze at the 1995 European Champi- onship and the European Championship this year. Coaches: Yaacov Mazin and Ben- ny Migarashvili Training: Hapoel Beersheva Residence: Beersheva Immigrated: 1993 Shani Kedmi Age:19 Achievements: Same as her boat-mate, Anat Fabrikant Training: Tel Aviv marina and Hadar Yosef stadium Membership: Hapoel Tel Aviv Residence: Ramat Aviv Coach: Eitan Fried- lander Shani Kedmi — Compiled by Roni B. Robbins Source: Olympics curriculum by the Atlanta Jewish Community Task Force on the Summer 1996 Games; Efraim Zinger, executive director of the Olympic Committee of Israel; The Jerusalem Re- port, Sept. 21, 1995; U.S. Committee Sports For Israel. Israeli Ties Ran Shen-Tal Yachting 470-model Top contenders: Ran and Nir Shen-Tal Ages: 25 and 27, respectively Achievements: In 1995, the broth- ers ranked third at the World Championship in Toronto and fourth at the Spain Regatta; 11th at the World Championship in Brazil this year. Training: Tel Aviv marina Several Jews serve as U.S. representatives of the Israeli delegation, helping coordinate communication, training and preparations for the Games. They include: • Atsmon Paz, Israeli envoy or liaison between the Olympic Committee of Israel and the At- lanta Committee for the Olympic Games. • Mr. Paz's team of envoys: Tova Cohen, Aviva Margolies, Arthur Heyman, Joel Ring and Lisa Perlin. • Steven Mendel, Israeli at- tache to the Olympic Com- mittee of Israel. Equal Treatment Wheelchair tennis star Marc Nadel promotes disability awareness as Paralympics organizer. ERIC GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS M arc Nadel has by necessity become an expert in semantics. When the unin- juries and recovered. But Mr. Finest hour: Marc Nadel won top honors formed refer to disabled ath- Nadel still carries his wounds. at the 1992 Maccabiah Games in Israel. letes as handicapped, the 1996 "It was devastating," recalls recreational basis. Atlanta Paralympic Game or- the high school three-sport var- Three years ago he moved to ganizer and Jewish paraplegic sity letterman and GSU intra- Atlanta and became a tennis in- politely corrects: "Handicapped mural tennis player. "That structor for the disabled. He also connotes begging. We're not incident changed my whole life. organized tennis tournaments, asking for anything. Para- I went from an active, athletic both independently and for the lympic athletes are elite per- guy, to someone who had to Atlanta Lawn Tennis Associa- formers. They just happen to be start all over. You really have tion. disabled." Becoming Paralympics tennis to create a whole new identity," What they want is not sym- says Mr. Nadel, a native of competition manager more than pathy, but to b _ e judged like all small-town Louisville, which is two years ago seemed the next athletes — by their abilities — 45 miles southwest of Augusta. logical step, he says. In that po- and to compete against the best A year of physical rehabilita- sition, Mr. Nadel recruits refer- in the world. tion in Savannah followed the ees and oversees preparations Certainly, nothing is handi- tragedy and it didn't take long of the Stone Mountain tennis capped about Mr. Nadel, an before Mr. Nadel got back onto venue. But his main goal in that avid tennis player paralyzed the court — in a wheelchair. A position seems to be educating from the waist down in a college physical therapist provided the people about disabled athletes. shooting 18 years ago. Since spark when he told Mr. Nadel: "What we want to do is change then, he has built himself up "You'll never play competitive people's thinking. Instead of physically and emotionally to tennis again." people watching an event and play competitive tennis again Undeterred, Mr. Nadel pressed thinking, 'Look at that poor dis- and become a medalist at the on to become a nationally abled person,' we want specta- 1992 Maccabiah Games in Is- ranked Open Division player, tors coming out to watch a great rael. And today, the 37-year-old the sport's highest level. competition. So we have to raise Mr. Nadel helps other disabled One of Mr. Nadel's finest mo- awareness." athletes become winners too. The only rule distinguishing ments was winning gold and sil- He's come a long way since ver medals in wheelchair tennis wheelchair tennis from its that tragic day in 1979 when his at the 1992 Maccabiah Games able-bodied counterpart is that life took its irrevocable turn. in Israel, the Jewish equivalent the disabled players are per- Mr. Nadel, a 19-year-old sopho- to the Olympics. mitted to hit the ball on the more at Georgia Southern Uni- Ranked among the top five second bounce, says the trim versity, was sitting in an wheelchair tennis players in the Mr. Nadel, swinging his sculpt- off-campus apartment with a nation during the early 1990s, ed forearm as if holding an former girlfriend when her ag- Mr. Nadel teamed with Ameri- imaginary racket. gressive boyfriend burst into the can Ryan Martin for the Mac- Unfortunately, the public does room. The man shot the woman cabiah Games to win the gold not view disabled tennis players once and Mr. Nadel three times medal in doubles. on the same level as able-bodied — in the chest, side and head — After retiring from tourna- stars, he adds. "But if we can get before taking his own life. ment competition, Mr. Nadel is people to recognize that these The woman slifFered minor in- no longer ranked on the wheel- are elite athletes playing top-lev- Eric Goldberg is an Atlanta writer. chair circuit. He only plays on a el tennis, that's a start." ❑