The United States widened its commanding lead in the Eighth Maccabiah games at Ramat Gan Stadium today amassing 60 1/2 gold medals. 351/2 silver medals and 301/2 bronze. Israel was second with 40 gold medals, 431/2 silver and 38 bronze. The third place British team had 81/2 gold medals, seven of silver and 12 bronze.
American tennis star Allan Fox took the singles tennis championship defeating Jean Sol of South Africa in the finals today. 6-2, 6-2. 6-3. The American swimmer, Debbie Lippman, added another gold medal to the American collection, taking first place in the diving competition.
Among yesterday’s American gold medalists were Nancy Spitz, who won the 800-meter women’s swim in 9:43; David Miachnik who won the men’s epee competition; Steve Marcus who won the shot put and Cary Ross the high jump. Kenneth Dietz of the U.S.A. took the discuss throw and Jeffrey Gapel the triple jump. The U.S. tennis team of Sox and Goldman won the men’s doubles and Heldman and Rubinoff won the mixed doubles. Americans Cary Weiner, Fred Turoff and Mark Cohen won gold medals in gymnastic events. Julia Heldman of the U.S. won the women’s tennis singles and Abigail Hoffman, of Canada, the women’s 400-meter race.
A technical error kept the Uruguayan basketball team out of the semi-finals after the Tel Aviv district court ruled yesterday that they should be allowed to participate. The team was disqualified by the Maccabiah organizing committee after opposing teams complained that the Uruguayan basketball squad had two non-Jewish members. Maccabiah rules limit competition to Jews. The court ordered the team’s reinstatement when the Maccabiah committee failed to defend its ruling. But the court order was addressed in error to the World Maccabiah Union whereas the games are under the jurisdiction of the International Maccabiah Games Committee. With the barring of Uruguay, the basketball finals will pit the U.S. against Israel. Uruguay was to have played Israel in the semi-finals.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
