Helsinki 1952
The Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952, were the 12th Olympic Games since they were revived by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, and the second since the end of World War II. This is also the year in which an Israeli delegation participated in the games for the first time.
Alongside 4,925 athletes from 69 countries, competing in 17 sports, 13 Israeli athletes who met the Olympic criteria and were included in the squad for the individual events joined the Israeli basketball team that participated in the pre-Olympic tournament.
The Israeli Olympic Committee complied with David Ben-Gurion’s request and decided that members of the Olympic delegation with foreign names would bear Hebrew names. The standout athletes in the delegation were the diver Yoav Raanan and the sprinter David Tabak.
