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Jewish Women In the Olympics
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Bobbie Rosenfeld, ready for a race.
Photo courtesy of
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. |
The 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin
generated excitement across the globe. As part of JWA's goal of
documenting the lives and accomplishments of North American Jewish
women we have featured runner Bobbie
Rosenfeld as a Woman of
Valor. Gold and Silver medalist Rosenfeld was one of Canada's
most outstanding athletes. A celebrated track and field star, she
excelled at virtually every sport from tennis to softball to ice hockey.
With almost no formal coaching, Rosenfeld shattered national records
and starred at the 1928 Olympics, the first year women were allowed
to compete in track and field events. As a legendary talent and later
as a sports columnist, she helped smash traditional barriers to
women's participation in athletics.
Other important figures in the early years of
women's participation in the Olympics include U.S. women's swimming
Team Manager Charlotte Epstein and Gold
medal discus thrower Lillian Copeland.
2006 Jewish-American Olympians to watch for in Turin!
- Ice skater Sasha Cohen (born in Westwood, Calif) is ready to stake her claim in the rink again this month in the Winter Olympics. With new programs, new choreographers, Olympic experience, and a 2006 U.S. national title behind her, 21-year-old Cohen is going for the gold. In fact, according to her on-line journal, "The gold medal is my favorite color!" For more information on Cohen, visit her official website www.sashacohen.com.
- Ice dancer Melissa Gregory (born in Highland Park, Ill) and her partner/husband Denis Petukhov are the second-ranked American ice-dancing team (just behind Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto). This two-time bronze medalist, who's been skating since she was seven and ice dancing with partners since age 11, experiences her Olympics debut in Turin this month. According to Gregory, "We want to be the best that we can be but we also want to entertain people and bring the love that we have for each other and skating to the people watching us." Visit www.usfigureskating.org and www.usolympicteam.com for more information on Gregory.
- Ice dancer Jamie Silverstein (born in Pittsburgh, Penn) was the 1999 World Junior champion with former partner Justin Pekarek. Skating since age three, the 23-year-old has a mission and motto: "To live compelled by both passion and compassion." Silverstein will put that passion to the test when she competes in Turin this month with her new partner Ryan O'Meara. To learn more about Silverstein, visit www.usfigureskating.org.
How to Cite This Page
For a bibliography:
Jewish Women's Archive. "JWA - Winter Olympics - Jewish Women In the Olympics." <http://jwa.org/discover/throughtheyear/january/olympics/index.html>.
For a footnote:
Jewish Women's Archive, "JWA - Winter Olympics - Jewish Women In the Olympics," <http://jwa.org/discover/throughtheyear/january/olympics/index.html>.
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