Israel makes history but no major wins in first week at 2026 Winter Olympics
Skeleton’s Jared Firestone ends Olympic run in 22nd place, as country’s first-ever cross-country skier crosses the finish line second to last at Milano Cortina Games
By Amy Spiro | Times of Israel
A week into the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Israel has made history at the Milano Cortina Games just by showing up, though it has yet to mark any major athletic achievements.
On Friday evening, Israel’s Jared Firestone completed his 4th heat in skeleton in 22nd place out of the 24 competitors, ending his Olympic run.
“I just wrapped up my competition last night, it was a storybook ending,” Firestone said in a video message to fans. “It was a dream come true and I couldn’t have done it without you, without everybody in Israel.”
Firestone, 35, told The Times of Israel in an interview last month that his final Olympic run will be his last slide, after chasing the Olympic dream for close to a decade: “I’m excited for civilian life.”