Multiple Israeli National Record Holders Highlight 21st Maccabiah Games

2022 Maccabiah Games

• July 17-21, 2022
• Israel
• LCM (50 meters)
• Results

Highlighting the 21st Maccabiah Games was Israel’s national record holder and Olympian Anastasia Gorbenko. Gorbenko swam a 2:20.17 in the women’s 200 IM winning by over five seconds. Gorbenko holds Israel’s national record in the event as her best time stands at a 2:09.99 which she swam at the 2021 European Championships. In total, Gorbenko holds eight Israeli LCM national records.

Israeli national record holder in the event Yakov Toumarkin won the men’s 200 backstroke in a 2:03.33. He holds the national record after swimming a 1:55.96 back in 2015 at the Israeli Championships.

In the men’s 400 free, Bar Soloveichik came away with the win in a 4:01.12. Soloveichik holds the Israeli national record in the event as he swam a 3:49.77 back in March 2021. Notably, he swam the event at the 2022 World Championships where he swam a 3:49.87 to finish 16th.

After swimming a 55.24 at the 2022 World Championships to finish 24th, Michael Laitarovsky picked up the win here in the men’s 100 backstroke swimming a 55.64.

Daria Golovaty of Israel won the women’s 200 freestyle in a 2:04.34. Golovaty swam a 2:01.01 in the event at 2022 Worlds to finish 23rd.

Also highlighting the meet for Israel was Gal Groumi of Israel. Groumi won the men’s 100 fly in a 53.21. He holds the Israeli national record in the event after swimming a 51.79 at the 2022 World Championships to finish 15th a little over a month ago. Groumi is a rising sophomore at Michigan. Groumi finished 10th in the 100 fly at the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships.

Finishing behind Groumi in the 100 fly was Gregg Lichinsky of the United States as he touched in a 53.70. Lichinsky also earned a win at the meet swimming a 50.08 in the men’s 100 free. That was a best time as his previous best stood at a 50.33 which he swam in May 2021. Lichinsky just finished his senior season at Division II McKendree. Notably, Lichinsky was a 2022 NCAA Division II A finalist in both the 100 free and 100 fly.

Israel’s Ophir Rakah was one of few swimmers to win multiple events at the meet. First, Rakah won the women’s 100 fly in a 1:03.53. That was slightly off her best time of 1:01.53 which she swam in June 2021. She also went on to sweep the butterfly events as she won the 200 fly in a 2:17.52, just off her best time of 2:16.64.

Also winning two events at the meet was Hannah Robertson of South Africa. Roberton won the women’s 100 free in a 57.72. That was a best time as her previous best stood at a 57.94. Robertson also went on to win the women’s 400 free in a 4:27.69. That was just off of her best of 4:25.92.

Also highlighting the meet was Denis Petrashov who won the men’s 100 breast in a 1:01.63. Petrashov represented Kyrgyzstan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he swam a 1:00.23 in the event setting a Kyrgyzstani national record.

Other event winners include:

• Men’s 200 breast: Daniel Iossifov 2:17.79 (Israel)
• Women’s 200 back: Tom Mienis 2:20.57 (Israel)
• Women’s 800 free: Yardena Rubin 10:10.09 (Israel)
• Men’s 800 free: Victor Abram 9:14.06 (Israel)
• Men’s 200 free: Or Tal 1:52.21 (Israel)
• Women’s 100 back: Marcyann Negira 1:05.02 (Israel)
• Women’s 100 breast: Bar Goren 1:16.38 (Israel)
• Men’s 200 fly:  Yahav Halag 2:05.32 (Israel)
• Men’s 200 IM: Toby Barnett 2:07.35 (USA)
• Women’s 50 free: Jessica Shpilko 26.53 (Israel)
• Men’s 50 free: Meiron Cheruti 22.47 (Israel)