In total 2,340 athletes from 38 countries competed in 19 different sports. The twenty-six members of Lithuania’s Makabi team delegation competed in five sports in the young, adult and veterans groups. The young athletes did extremely well. Swimmer Jekaterina Gamper took three bronze medals for various strokes and distances and another two medals as well: a gold and a silver in one-on-one swim-offs with swimmers from other countries. Swimmer Artiomas Perepelica is taking home two bronze medals in singles competitions and another silver in a one-on-one swim-off. Young table-tennis player Vanessa Ražinskytė won two silvers, one individually and another together with an English table-tennis player. In total Lithuania’s young Mabaki team members take home 10 medals.

Among the adults the most successful was our swimmer Andrej Fadejev who earned 8 medals, 3 of them golden; badminton player Alanas Plavinas with 2 gold medals (1 individually, 1 as a pair with an Estonian player) and the swimmer Ela Pavinskienė who hauls home with her 3 bronzes.

Unfortunately our former Maccabi Games victors, the powerful mini soccer team who took first place in their subdivision lost 1:3 in the championship playoff against Israel’s team, and also slipped past Estonia’s delegation in the battle for the bronze, losing 2:3, although at just 27 seconds remaining they were still ahead 2:1.

Tennis veterans won’t be setting off any medal detectors at the airports as they make their way back from the games, although Valentina Finkelšteinienė did play in the semifinal, losing to a pair of US players, and taking 4th place. Our other tennis veteran Ilja Bereznickis did not taste of victory this year.

In sum the Lithuanian Makabi team delegation was successful in winning 23 medals. During the games there was also a broad cultural program and excursions, and the Sabbath dinner broke a standing Guinness world record, weighing in with 2,340 attendees.

Semionas Finkelšteinas

Head of delegation, Lithuanian Maccabi Athletics Club