1981 Maccabiah Games
The 1981 11th Maccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes to Israel from 30 nations.

The 30-sports menu included rugby union, sailing and softball for the first time.

New facilities for squash, wrestling, karate, and judo were introduced.

History
The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932. In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee.

Notable medalists

Mitch Gaylord, gymnastics, won 6 gold medals; he later went on to win Olympic gold.

Also, American tennis players Brad Gilbert (in doubles, with Jon Levine) and Andrea Leand earned gold medals, and Shlomo Glickstein won the men's singles in tennis (defeating Brad Gilbert), the first Israeli to win a Maccabiah tennis championship. In golf, American Corey Pavin won two gold medals.

Mark Berger, who three years later was to go on to win a silver medal in the Olympics, won a gold medal in judo. David Blatt, Danny Schayes, and Willie Sims won a gold medal with Team USA in basketball. American fencers Paul Friedberg won a gold medal for the US in saber, Peter Schifrin won a silver medal in epee, and  Elaine Cheris won an individual silver medal and a team gold medal in foil. British sabre fencer Paul Klenerman, who three years later fenced in the Olympics, also medaled.

In track and field, James Espir of Great Britain, who earlier that year had run a mile in 3 minutes 56.7 seconds, thereby becoming the fastest Jewish miler ever, won the 1500 metres and 5000 metres gold medals on successive days. At the Games, Maya Kalle-Bentzur of Israel won the gold medal in the women's long jump.

In swimming Lior Birkan won 3 gold and 2 silver medals.

Participating communities
The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.

External links
Summaries of each of the Games

References

 
Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
1980s in Tel Aviv