Israeli athletes had a poor week at the Olympic games here. Track and swimming stars failed to qualify for final events in trial heats. A long distance walker finished 24th in a field of 36 starters. Israeli marksmen did poorly in shooting events in which they were expected to excel and Israel’s soccer team, in which high hopes were placed, lost by a 2-0 score to the world champion Hungarian team in the first round of a qualifying tournament.
The athletes engaged in events that require physical stamina generally attributed their poor form to the high altitude. This was particularly true of the swimmers who complained of breathing difficulties because of the lack of oxygen. But Jewish athletes from other countries have turned in top performances in many strenuous events, including swimming.
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