Israel forged ahead in the first full day of events at the 9th Maccabiah games which opened here Monday night. The Israeli team carried off 12 medals five gold, two silver and five bronze. The American team was second with 12 medals of which four were gold, six silver and two bronze.
The Americans, with 225 competitors, form the largest single contingent among the 1800 Jewish athletes from 28 countries participating in the Jewish “Olympics.” The smallest is from Japan which sent one Jewish sportsman but it is the first time Japan has participated in the Maccabiah. Another first timer is Spain which sent a team of five young Jewish athletes.
There are larger contingents from Latin America, South Africa, Canada, Rhodesia, Australia and the United Kingdom. The 50,000 spectators at the opening, which included Premier Golda Meir, cheered as each team marched into the Ramat Gan stadium, some in uniforms, others wearing colorful national costumes. The theme of the event was Jewish unity and Jewish national feeling. President Ephraim Katzir of Israel saluted each team from the Presidential box.
Sweden took third place in the first day of the games with six medals–three gold, two silver and one bronze. Two of the gold medals were won by 19-year-old Anita Zarnoveicki who came in first in the 100 meter free-style and 200 meter backstroke swimming events. South Africa took two gold and two bronze medals; Britain one gold and two bronze; Holland and Australia one gold medal each.
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