Bar-Or on track for 2012 Olympics

Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or reached the semi-finals of the 200 metres freestyle at the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, becoming the first Israeli to meet the criteria set for qualification for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Bronze for Olympic hopefuls Kliger and Sela

Gidi Kliger and Eran Sela took bronze at the European Championships in Helsinki.

The duo, who have ambitions of taking gold in London next year, won silver in the 470 Class in 2010, but could only manage a third place this time around.

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Double joy for Israel

Israel's Arik Ze'evi and Neta Rivkin have boosted their hopes of participating in next year's Olympic Games in London.

Ze'evi, 34, took gold at judo's Moscow Grand Slam with a victory in the under-100kg competition.

There was controversy in the quarter-finals when, after defeating Ramadan Darwesh, the Egyptian refused to shake Ze'evi's hand.

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Israeli Olympics committee perfectly formed

The Olympic Committee of Israel (OCI) has published tough qualification criteria for the 2012 Olympics and is confident of bringing home several medals from London.

OCI Secretary General Efraim Zinger said: "We are going to England to win medals and, in order to win, you need tough criteria so you can concentrate limited resources on the more promising medal prospects. The criteria are the same as for Beijing and we expect about 40 Israel sportswomen and men to travel to London."

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Faith helps for 2012 London Olympics

The capital's rabbis have been called up to volunteer as Jewish chaplains for Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Games.

Jewish chaplains will be recruited for the Games to support the religious needs of athletes and visitors to the Olympic site. Many rabbis in the Redbridge community, close to the Stratford site, have already expressed interest in the positions.

Rabbi Richard Jacobi of Woodford Liberal synagogue said: "I'm certainly discussing doing it. It's important
to show our hospitality to everyone who visits for the Olympics and Paralympics.

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Munich victims snubbed

Israel's IOC delegate has confirmed there will not be a memorial for the Munich massacre victims at the opening ceremony of London 2012.

Alex Gilady, who is also a member of the IOC's London 2012 Co-ordination Committee, did confirm, however, that the Israel Olympic Committee will be hosting a reception to mark the 40th anniversary in which 11 of the Israeli Olympic delegation were killed during the 1972 Munich Games.

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Munich massacre remembered at 2012 Olympics

Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of LOCOG, is planning to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Munich Massacre at the London 2012 Olympics.

"We should certainly find a way of incorporating a commemoration into the Games. Not just in memory of those who were killed but also for the victims of other tragedies, such as the terrorist act at Atlanta," said Sir Keith, who admitted "the details still need to be discussed".

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