An apartment being used by members of Israel’s bobsled team and other Olympians during their final training for the Winter Olympics in Italy was robbed on Saturday, according to the team’s pilot.
AJ Edelman, a former Olympic skeleton athlete who now serves as the driver for Israel’s bobsled team, shared the news in a social media post. Edelman said the thieves took passports and “thousands of dollars” worth of personal items and equipment from the apartment.
“What a season,” Edelman wrote, reacting to the incident, and sharing a picture of investigators collecting fingerprints from the scene of the crime. Despite the robbery and the launch of an investigation, Edelman said the team returned to training immediately. He praised his teammates for their resilience and described their response as a powerful example of perseverance. “Such a gross violation, suitcases, shoes, equipment, passports stolen, and the boys headed right back to training today,” Edelman wrote. “I really believe this team exemplifies the Israeli Spirit.”
In the hours after Edelman’s post circulated online, some commentators and pundits immediately began questioning security surrounding the Winter Games and warning that Israeli athletes could face heightened threats. Several pointed to the 1972 Munich Olympics, when members of the Israeli delegation were targeted by Palestinian terrorists in an attack that resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. The incident remains one of the most infamous security failures in Olympic history and is still cited whenever concerns arise about the safety of Israeli teams at major international sporting events.
Israel is making history this year by competing in Olympic bobsled for the first time. The team earned its spot after Great Britain chose not to use one of its two allocated bobsled positions for the Milan Cortina Games. Israel’s official X account celebrated the milestone earlier this week, highlighting the team’s unexpected rise. “Some call them Shul Runnings,” the account posted Thursday. “Others call them the little sled that could. We call them the team that made it happen. First-ever Olympic bobsled team for Israel.”
Edelman later added, following a successful fundraiser to pay for the lost equipment, “Thank you for the messages of support. We are victors, never victims. Our journey is defined by moving forward, always. That's the Israeli Spirit. Lulu, the Shul Runnings team, and I proudly continue to train and look forward to laying down something epic at these Games. As victors and part of 10 amazing athletes representing Israel.”
AJ Edelman, a former Olympic skeleton athlete who now serves as the driver for Israel’s bobsled team, shared the news in a social media post. Edelman said the thieves took passports and “thousands of dollars” worth of personal items and equipment from the apartment.
“What a season,” Edelman wrote, reacting to the incident, and sharing a picture of investigators collecting fingerprints from the scene of the crime. Despite the robbery and the launch of an investigation, Edelman said the team returned to training immediately. He praised his teammates for their resilience and described their response as a powerful example of perseverance. “Such a gross violation, suitcases, shoes, equipment, passports stolen, and the boys headed right back to training today,” Edelman wrote. “I really believe this team exemplifies the Israeli Spirit.”
In the hours after Edelman’s post circulated online, some commentators and pundits immediately began questioning security surrounding the Winter Games and warning that Israeli athletes could face heightened threats. Several pointed to the 1972 Munich Olympics, when members of the Israeli delegation were targeted by Palestinian terrorists in an attack that resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. The incident remains one of the most infamous security failures in Olympic history and is still cited whenever concerns arise about the safety of Israeli teams at major international sporting events.
Israel is making history this year by competing in Olympic bobsled for the first time. The team earned its spot after Great Britain chose not to use one of its two allocated bobsled positions for the Milan Cortina Games. Israel’s official X account celebrated the milestone earlier this week, highlighting the team’s unexpected rise. “Some call them Shul Runnings,” the account posted Thursday. “Others call them the little sled that could. We call them the team that made it happen. First-ever Olympic bobsled team for Israel.”
Edelman later added, following a successful fundraiser to pay for the lost equipment, “Thank you for the messages of support. We are victors, never victims. Our journey is defined by moving forward, always. That's the Israeli Spirit. Lulu, the Shul Runnings team, and I proudly continue to train and look forward to laying down something epic at these Games. As victors and part of 10 amazing athletes representing Israel.”
