Swimming Israel

15/03/2025

Record Number: 15 Israeli Swimmers Qualify for NCAA Championships

Israeli swimmers continue to shine in the U.S., as three female and 12 male swimmers have qualified for the prestigious national finals. Gal Cohen Groumi leads the pack, ranking third in the 200-yard individual medley, while Leah Polonsky and Ron Polonsky also secured high rankings. Full list inside.

In recent years, Israeli swimmers have been making their mark in the NCAA, achieving significant success. However, this year, they have broken even their own records. On Tuesday, the official list of qualifiers for the NCAA Championships was published, featuring a record-breaking 15 Israeli swimmers.

The previous record for Israeli swimmers qualifying for the NCAA Championships was 11, set two years ago. Last year, 10 Israeli swimmers competed in the annual event. This year, three female swimmers and six male swimmers earned spots in individual events, with some ranking highly. Additionally, six more swimmers will compete in their universities' relay teams. The list may still change slightly before the championships begin.

The Strong Women

The women's championships will take place first, from March 19 to 22, in Federal Way, Washington. The top-ranked Israeli female swimmer is Leah Polonsky (Cal Berkeley), who is ranked in the top eight in two different events and has qualified in three—a remarkable achievement. Leah placed seventh in the 200-yard individual medley and eighth in the 200-yard freestyle. Additionally, she qualified 25th in the 200-yard butterfly.

In the 200-yard freestyle, Polonsky will be joined by Daria Golovaty (Louisville), who qualified in 18th place. Golovaty also qualified 26th in the 500-yard freestyle and is expected to compete in the 100-yard freestyle, where she ranked 52nd.

The third Israeli female swimmer is Aviv Barzelay (Texas A&M), who once again qualified in her strongest event, the 200-yard backstroke, ranking 32nd.

A Wave of Male Swimmers

The men's championships will take place one week later, from March 26 to 29, in the same pool. The highest-ranked Israeli male swimmer is Gal Cohen Groumi (Michigan), who is ranked third in the 200-yard individual medley, making him a strong medal contender—an achievement he has yet to reach in his career (last year, he finished fifth in this event). He also qualified 10th in the 200-yard freestyle.

Ron Polonsky (Stanford) qualified in three events: 11th in the 100-yard breaststroke, 16th in the 200-yard individual medley, and 23rd in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Tomer Frankel (Indiana) secured spots in both butterfly events, as expected. In the 100-yard butterfly—where he won a silver medal last year—he qualified 16th, and in the 200-yard butterfly, he placed 21st.

Bar Soloveychik (Minnesota) qualified 21st in the 500-yard freestyle and 27th in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Yoav Romano (Wisconsin) will join him in the 500-yard freestyle after qualifying at the last-chance meet, taking the 24th spot. David Gerchik (Northwestern) also made the cut, ranking 27th in the 100-yard backstroke.

The Relay Team

In addition to the individual qualifiers, several Israeli swimmers will compete in relay events (most of the above swimmers are also expected to take part in their teams' relays).

Daniel Eichel (Minnesota) is set to swim in the 4x200-yard freestyle relay.

Chris Pichugin (Georgia) will swim the breaststroke legs in both medley relays.

Martin Kartavi (NC State), who narrowly missed an individual qualification, will swim the freestyle sprints in the relays.

Denis Loktev (Louisville), an Olympic swimmer, will contribute to the freestyle relays as usual.

Eitan Ben Sh*trit (Michigan), another Olympic swimmer, just missed individual qualification but is expected to swim in the 4x200-yard relay and possibly another event.

Hunter Ingram will represent Arizona in the relays.

This list is not yet final and may change slightly before the competition.

Artical by Guy Dar @ Israeli swimming association

14/03/2025

Dana Tartatsky Getua Appointed as CEO of the Association ✍🏻

The management of the Water Polo Association has approved the appointment of Dana Tartatsky Getua as the organization's CEO. The incoming CEO holds a bachelor's degree in management and international business from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, USA. Over the past four years, she has served as the CEO of a multi-disciplinary sports association, managing a broad and complex sports framework. Additionally, she is a member of the management teams of the School Sports Association, the Volleyball Association, and the Association of Sports Department Directors in Local Authorities. In the past, she played volleyball in the Israeli Premier League, in U.S. college leagues, and as part of the Israeli national team.

Following her appointment, Tartatsky stated: "I am excited to join the Water Polo Association as its new CEO. I take on this role with great passion for sports, extensive managerial experience, and a strong desire to contribute to the development and success of water polo in Israel. Throughout my years in the sports world, I have learned the importance of teamwork, strategic planning, resource management, and the pursuit of excellence. I believe these values are essential for success in any field, especially in a competitive sport like water polo."

The association's chairperson, Rona Freund Amitzur, added: "Dana is not here just to maintain the status quo—water polo in Israel has reached a glass ceiling, and breaking through requires a shift in management approach, an understanding of the needs of the younger generation, and a smart, effective strategy to advance the sport. Dana impressed us greatly during the selection process, and she brings a high level of motivation along with well-structured plans to develop and promote Israeli water polo. I am confident that she will lead the association to new heights."

07/03/2025

Hapoel Bat Yam won the Israeli championship for the fifth consecutive time today in the 4x1500m mixed relay for clubs, as part of the Israeli Open Water Swimming Championship taking place in Eilat. This is a mixed relay race, featuring two female and two male swimmers, each swimming 1.5 kilometers.

The Bat Yam quartet—composed of Maor Goralnik, Daniel Rabinovich, Ofek Adir, and Beki Pozdner—finished the distance with a time of 1:10:50.06 hours. This lineup has now won first place for three consecutive years.

The battle for second and third place was decided by a photo finish—Hapoel Bat Yam’s second team won the silver medal (1:13:30.11 hours), with swimmers Omer Havva, Yochai Pressman, Yuval Segal, and Pilar Hashama. The bronze medal went to Maccabi Kiryat Bialik (1:13:30.59 hours), whose team included Shon Pomberg, Itai Arad, Omer Schwartz, and Adva Barkovich.

Congratulations to the coaching staff of the swimmers: Hapoel Bat Yam’s Meir Loya and Sharon Azouval, and Kiryat Bialik’s Alon Chernishev and Lee Cohen Aharon.

The Israeli Open Water Swimming Championship will conclude tomorrow with the 10 km race for men and women.

06/03/2025

An impressive photo of the Israeli artistic swimming team at the World Cup in Paris last weekend.

Photo: Getty Images

06/03/2025

Yonatan Achdut and Ofek Adir won the Israeli Open Water Swimming Championship today in the 5 km race, which began this morning in Eilat. With their victory, both swimmers met the qualification criteria for the European Senior Championships in this event.

Achdut, from Hapoel Jerusalem, won the title for the second consecutive year, finishing with a time of 56:59 minutes. Maor Gurelnik from Hapoel Bat Yam finished second (57:03), and 14-year-old Shon Pomberg from Maccabi Kiryat Bialik placed third (59:54).

Adir, from Hapoel Bat Yam, won the women's race for the first time with a time of 1:03:36 hours. Young swimmer Emily Golos from TLV SWIM finished second (1:03:53), and Omer Schwartz from Maccabi Kiryat Bialik took third place (1:03:58).

Results from other categories:

Ages 19-18:

1. Yair Gruber (Hapoel Be'er Tuvia – 1:04:26)

2. Rafael Gefi (Maccabi Haifa – 1:06:35)

Ages 17-16:

1. Itam HaCohen (Hapoel Jerusalem – 1:04:08)

2. Daniel Yudin (Hapoel Beit Shemesh – 1:04:15)

3. Yevgeny Oshinsky (Hapoel Bat Yam – 1:04:15)

Ages 15-14:

1. Shon Pomberg

2. David Dmitriev (Maccabi Kiryat Bialik – 1:04:12)

3. Michael Ninio Meital (TLV SWIM – 1:04:15)

Girls 19-18:

1. Ofek Adir

2. Omer Schwartz

3. Veronika Volikov (Hapoel Beit Shemesh – 1:10:35)

Girls 17-16:

1. Emily Golos

2. Pilar Maria Chashma (Hapoel Bat Yam – 1:04:46)

3. Natali Sarah McAlis (Maccabi A.S. Ramat HaSharon – 1:07:40)

Girls 15-14:

1. Liora Kalitchuk (Hapoel Bat Yam – 1:06:09)

2. Gil Hirsch (Bnei Herzliya – 1:10:28)

3. Adva Berkowitz (Maccabi Kiryat Bialik – 1:10:35)

Tomorrow, the relay race (4x1500 meters) will take place, and on Saturday, the Israeli Championship for the 10 km distance will be held.

Credit : Israeli swimming association

24/01/2025

"Olympic swimmer Yakov has announced his retirement from swimming and has been appointed as the professional manager of the Israeli Swimming Association's performance teams.
We at the Olympic Committee are very proud and appreciative of Yakov for his work as an athlete and as the chairman of the Athletes' Committee.
A little about Yakov's achievements over the years:
5 medals at the European Championships, 3 Olympic Games: London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020.
Toumarkin's peak achievement is 7th place in the Olympic 200-meter backstroke final in London 2012. He is the Israeli record holder in the backstroke and medley events, an Israeli champion for over 15 years, the Israeli flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, a European Junior Champion, a Junior Olympic silver medalist, and the Israeli Olympic Committee's Athlete of the Year in 2012.
Best of luck!
Toumarkin

14/01/2025

In the early '90s, the swimming world was introduced to a figure who would redefine the sport of freestyle sprinting.

Aleksandr Popov, hailing from the industrial city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg, Russia), was about to become one of the most electrifying swimmers the world had ever seen. His entry into the international arena wasn’t just about winning medals—it was about dominating the pool in ways that would set him apart for generations. Born in 1971, Popov's rise to fame would reshape the world of competitive swimming and leave a legacy that few could match.

It all began at the 1992 Olympics, where the world watched in awe as Popov stormed to gold in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events. It was a performance so commanding that it made everyone take notice—this was not just another sprinter; this was a force of nature. And Popov wasn’t done. At the 1996 Olympics, he returned to defend his titles and did so with an unmatched ease, taking home two more gold medals in the same events. With each race, his reputation grew, not just as a swimmer, but as a strategist, one who could outthink and outswim his competitors in the most intense of moments.

But Popov’s career wasn’t just about the Olympics. At the World Championships, he amassed an incredible nine gold medals, cementing his dominance on the international stage. His ability to perform across both long-course and short-course formats made him a versatile swimmer, capable of adapting to any challenge. Popov’s name became synonymous with world records, as he shattered barriers that had stood for years. His 100m freestyle record, set in 1994, remained unbroken for nearly a decade, while his dominance in the 50m freestyle made him a pioneer of the event.

Yet, Popov's story wasn’t just about victories; it was defined by the fierce rivalries that drove him to even greater heights. The battles with American swimmers like Gary Hall Jr. and the Australians of the '90s were not just about medals—they were about proving who was the best. These rivalries fueled Popov’s ambition and kept the world on the edge of its seat as he raced for glory.

As the years passed and Popov retired from competitive swimming, his influence didn't fade. He transitioned into sports administration, becoming the president of the Russian Swimming Federation and dedicating himself to nurturing the next generation of swimmers. His impact on the sport, particularly in Russia, remains profound. His calm demeanor, strategic mind, and revolutionary approach to sprint freestyle left an indelible mark on swimming.

Today, Popov is remembered not just as one of the greatest sprinters in history, but as a symbol of what it means to be the best. His legacy continues to inspire young swimmers worldwide, reminding them that true greatness is achieved through determination, innovation, and an unwavering will to push beyond limits.

Credit a5

11/01/2025

🏊‍♀️ Katinka Hosszu – The Iron Lady of Swimming! 🥇

🔥 97 major medals (Olympics, Worlds & Europeans)
🔥 20 World Records (most this century)
🔥 All-time leader in World Cup medals: 461 (309 gold!)

From dominating the 200m IM with an 8-year winning streak to setting records that may never be broken, Katinka’s legacy is unmatched. 💪

11/01/2025

Beautiful 😻 sunset ☀️ at Carlton hotel with the amazing Gordon Pool in Tel Aviv, Israel 🇮🇱

GORDON POOL -TEL AVIV

08/01/2025

Sharon Van Rouwendaal 🇳🇱 best Swimming Female Athlete of 2024 🔥

07/01/2025

🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️Leon Marchand 🇫🇷 best Male Athlete of 2024 🔥

Leon Marchand

24/12/2024

50m 19.9s CROOKS

21/12/2024

The amazing 🇮🇱🏊🏻‍♀️Anastasia Gorbenko is one of the nominees for Best European Female Swimmer of 2024! Show your love and support for her by voting for her! 🤍💙🤍💙🤍💙 https://www.len.eu/awards-2024/

LEN European Aquatics Championships 2016

17/12/2024

Jordan Crooks makes history! 🇰🇾
19.90 🔥 Cayman Islands’ sprinting sensation dominates the 50m Freestyle at 🏊‍♂️💥

16/12/2024

🤩 30 WORLD RECORDS in 6 days 🤩 have been the World Championships with the most world records broken in a single edition 🚀

12/12/2024

EUROPEAN RELAY CHAMPION JONATHAN GUR ITZHAKI ANNOUNCES COMMITMENT TO ASU FOR FALL 2025

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

European relay champion Jonathan Gur Itzhaki has announced his commitment to swim at defending NCAA Champion Arizona State University (ASU) in the fall of 2025.

SwimSwam
Jonathan Itzhaki


Good Luck!!!

European relay champion Jonathan Gur Itzhaki of Israel has announced his commitment to swim for defending NCAA Champions ASU in the fall.