Israel’s Top Female Athletes of the 21st Century

If you only follow Israeli sports from the headlines, you might think it’s all soccer heartbreak and basketball near-misses. But here’s the plot twist: Israel’s best athletes this century have been women. It started back in the last century, when Yael Arad won silver in judo—Israel’s first-ever Olympic medal—and since then, the women have been carrying the country’s sporting hopes like they’re lifting the Ark of the Covenant. Let’s run through the Mount Rushmore of modern Israeli greatness.

Linoy Ashram – The Golden Girl
Linoy Ashram is basically Israel’s Simone Biles—only with ribbons and hoops instead of vaults and flips. At Tokyo 2020 (technically held in 2021, because… pandemic), she won Israel’s first Olympic gold by breaking Russia’s rhythmic gymnastics monopoly that had lasted longer than most streaming shows. Precision, grace, ice-cold nerves—she had it all. Then she dropped the mic and retired soon after. That’s a power move: win gold, peace out, and live forever as a national legend.

Inbar Lanir & Raz Hershko – The Judo Duo
You know that feeling when you wait three decades for a bus, and then two show up at once? That was Israel’s judo scene in Paris. The country hadn’t had a judoka in an Olympic final in 32 years, and suddenly Inbar Lanir and Raz Hershko did it on back-to-back days. Both took silver, both looked devastated, and that’s when you knew Israeli expectations had officially leveled up. Thirty years ago, a bronze would’ve triggered a national holiday. Now, silver feels like a near miss.

Sharon Kantor – Master of the Wind
The Paris Olympics were a nightmare for sailors—no wind, delays, chaos. But Sharon Kantor still found a way to make it work. The stakes here couldn’t be higher – they race once and the top 2 advance to the medal race and two are eliminated short of a guaranteed medal. Kantor put her nerves to the side and won the semifnal to secure a medal. Then in the one-off final, she finished second to bring home another silver medal for Israel. It was testament to believing in yourself and she’s a real inspiration!

Shahar Pe’er – The Original Superstar
Before tennis became all about Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek, there was Shahar Pe’er, quietly making history for Israel. Top 15 in the world. Five WTA titles. Fourth rounds at the Aussie and US Opens. She was automatic—just pencil her into the majors and hope she drew someone outside the top five early. And she did it all while dealing with off-court political noise that would’ve crushed most athletes. When you don’t see any Israeli players in a Slam draw today, you realize just how special Pe’er was.

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter – The Marathon Marvel
Lonah Chemtai Salpeter is the kind of runner you’d create in a video game: smooth, fearless, completely unstoppable once she finds her rhythm. A Kenyan-born Israeli citizen, she’s won European gold and finished on podiums at marathons around the world. She’s not just competing—she’s redefining what “Israeli athletics” even means. Her story—mother, immigrant, record-breaker—is pure sports-movie material.

Of course I missed a bunch of fantastic female athletes and yes there are some great male athletes as well. But it doesn’t have to be International Women’s Day to recognize and appreciate greatness. These women didn’t just win medals; they reframed what success looks like for a small nation constantly negotiating its own narrative. In a country obsessed with survival, these athletes made thriving seem normal—and that might be the most radical thing of all.