The Olympic Committee of Israel announced this week that it will not select its annual Athletes and Coaches of the Year for 2025, citing the exceptional circumstances faced by Israeli sport amid the ongoing security situation and the wave of global antisemitism that has disrupted international competition.
Following an in-depth review by the committee’s professional panel, chaired by former athlete and high-tech executive Itay Margalit, the body decided to recommend, on a one-time, extraordinary basis, that no selections be made this year to preserve fairness among athletes, coaches, and sporting disciplines.
The Olympic Committee’s management accepted the recommendation, marking the first time in recent memory that the titles will not be awarded.
The 2024/25 competitive season, the first following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, has been an unusually difficult one for Israeli sport. Many athletes were unable to compete in World Championships or key qualification events due to the ongoing security situation in Israel and the increasing hostility toward Israeli representatives abroad.
Just weeks ago, members of the Israeli gymnastics team, including Olympic and world champion Artem Dolgopyat, were prevented from competing at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia. Olympic judo medalists Inbar Lanir and Raz Hershko were similarly unable to participate in the World Judo Championships during a tense period of competition against Iran.
Israeli Olympic Committee cancels annual 'Athlete of the Year'
The national fencing team faced delays reaching the European Championships after being forced to travel by sea, while Israel’s shooting team could not attend the World Championships. The triathlon team also missed the European Championships, as did several other teams across disciplines.
In place of the traditional annual awards, the professional committee recommended that the Olympic Committee formally recognize the outstanding achievement of sailor Tamar Steinberg, who captured the silver medal at the World Championships in the IQ Foil class. Her coach, Shahar Tzuberi, a Beijing 2008 bronze medalist and current coach of Israel’s sailing team, will also be honored for his contribution.
The official closing ceremony marking the post-Olympic year will be held on December 11, 2025, during which Steinberg and Tzuberi will be recognized, along with updates on the committee’s upcoming plans.
Olympic Committee CEO Gili Lustig said that the decision reflects both the challenges of the past year and the organization’s commitment to maintaining integrity and equality in its recognition process.
“2025 was a year that required different thinking,” Lustig explained. “Some of our top athletes, including Olympic medalists, were unable to participate in major international events, which directly affects the selection of both athletes and coaches of the year.
These titles are exclusive and meaningful honors, and therefore, the management decided to adopt the professional committee’s recommendation not to make selections this year due to unequal conditions. Instead, we will acknowledge achievements in other ways. We hope for a new year with fewer challenges and many more successes.”
Committee chair Itay Margalit echoed Lustig’s sentiment, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the year.
“The professional committee formulated its recommendation with full recognition of the unusual circumstances that defined this past year,” he said.
“Our central premise was that we must take into account the significant impact these events had on many of Israel’s leading athletes, particularly their inability to participate in their main target competitions. We stand firmly behind our recommendation, which reflects the exceptional challenges our athletes faced, and we express our sincere hope for a swift return to normal training and competition.”
During the meeting, the Olympic Committee also reviewed its 2025 budget update and heard a presentation from architect Eitan Kimmel, who unveiled the design principles and visual renderings for the new Olympic House, a future national hub for Israeli sport.