Ahead of International Women’s Day, Yarden Har Lev, Head of the Education, Foreign Relations, and Olympic Fund Division, hosted a special Olympic seminar, organized by the Olympic Committee of Israel and the Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, inspired by the legendary Agnes Keleti.
Keleti was one of the greatest gymnasts in history and one of the most decorated Jewish athletes, winning 10 Olympic medals—including 5 golds—at Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956.
Her achievements are even more remarkable considering she won her medals after the age of 30, an age often considered challenging in gymnastics. Later, she immigrated to Israel and devoted her life to mentoring generations of gymnasts at the Wingate Institute.
This year, we explored the connection between age and achievement in sports, inspired by Keleti’s extraordinary legacy. Her son, Rafi Biro Keleti, was a special guest at the seminar, sharing reflections on her impact on gymnastics and beyond.
The event opened with a special recorded greeting from International Olympic Committee – IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach, who highlighted, among other key topics, the groundbreaking career management program for elite female coaches initiated by the NOC—an important step in closing the gender gap in coaching within the Olympic Movement.
Yael Arad, Chairman of the Israeli Olympic Committee: “At the beginning of the year, we bid farewell to the legendary Olympic champion, Holocaust survivor, and one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the Olympic Games, Israel Prize laureate Agnes Keleti, a week before she celebrated her 104th birthday. Agnes, who was one of the founders of the gymnastics discipline in Israel and trained generations of female athletes and coaches, taught us all a lesson in determination and mental resilience when she rose from the ashes of the Holocaust and won Olympic medals at the age of 35. It is only natural that we dedicate International Women’s Day to her legacy in collaboration with Wingate Institute, where she taught for many years”.
