Ami Omer Dadaon

Israeli Paralympic swimmer

עמי עומר דדאון‎Full nameAmi Omer DadaonNationalityIsraeliBorn (2000-12-26) 26 December 2000 (age 23)
Haifa, IsraelHome townKiryat Ata, IsraelSportCountry IsraelSportPara swimmingDisability classS4, SM4ClubIlan Sport CenterCoached byJacob Beninson
Medal record
Men's para swimming
Representing  Israel
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 4 2 1
World Championships 7 1 1
European Championships 9 4 0
Total 20 7 2
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 50m freestyle S4[1]
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 200m freestyle S4[2]
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 100 m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 200 m freestyle S4
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 150m ind. medley SM4[3]
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 150 m ind. medley SM4
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 50 m freestyle S4
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Madeira 150m ind. medley SM4
Gold medal – first place 2022 Madeira 50m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2022 Madeira 200m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2023 Manchester 50m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2023 Manchester 100m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2023 Manchester 200m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2023 Manchester 150m ind. medley SM4
Silver medal – second place 2019 London 150m ind. medley SM4
Bronze medal – third place 2019 London 200m freestyle S4
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Dublin 100m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2018 Dublin 150m ind. medley S4
Gold medal – first place 2020 Funchal 50m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2020 Funchal 100m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2020 Funchal 200m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2024 Funchal 50m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2024 Funchal 100m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2024 Funchal 200m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2024 Funchal 50m breaststroke S4
Silver medal – second place 2018 Dublin 50m breaststroke SB3
Silver medal – second place 2018 Dublin 200m freestyle S4
Silver medal – second place 2020 Funchal 150m ind. medley SM4
Silver medal – second place 2024 Funchal 150m ind. medley SM4

Ami Omer Dadaon (Hebrew: עמי עומר דדאון; sometimes written Dadon; born 26 December 2000) is an Israeli Paralympic champion and world champion swimmer. He has won four gold medals at Paralympics, seven gold medals at World Championships, and nine gold medals at European Championships. He represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal.[4]

He competed for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where he won two gold medals (in Men's 100 metre freestyle S4 and Men's 200 metre freestyle S4), a silver medal in Men's 150 metre individual medley SM4, and a bronze medal in Men's 50 metre freestyle S4.

Early life

Dadaon was born in Haifa, Israel.[5] He was born prematurely, and was quadriplegic and had cerebral palsy from birth.[5][6][7] He lives in Kiryat Ata, Israel.[8]

Swimming career

Dadaon started swimming when he was six years old.[5] He began swimming at the Israel Association for Children with Disabilities as rehabilitation therapy.[6] In December 2017, he was awarded the Israeli Sports Award for Young Para Athlete of the Year.[6]

He won nine gold medals at European Championships between 2018 and 2024.[5]

Dadaon represented Israel in Swimming at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics at 20 years of age, and won gold medals in the 50 metre freestyle S4 and 200 metre freestyle S4 (an event in which he set the world record) events, and a silver medal in the 150 metre individual medley SM4 event.[9]

He won seven gold medals at World Championships in 2022 and 2023.[5]

2024–present; Paris Paralympics

He competed for Israel at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. He won a gold medal at the games in the Men's 100 metre freestyle S4.[5] He established a new Paralympic record in the heats (with a time of 1:19.33), and has the world record (with a time of 1:18.94).[5] He said: ""I will sing Hatikvah. That's all I wanted – to represent the people of Israel in this period and to give them hope."[10]

He has also won a gold medal in Men's 200 metre freestyle S4, a silver medal in Men's 150 metre individual medley SM4, and a bronze medal in Men's 50 metre freestyle S4.[11] After he won his silver medal following the news that six Israeli hostages had been found dead in Gaza, he said: "It wasn’t an easy day for the people of Israel. It affected me, I live for Israel and for our country. We’re fighting on so many different fronts, but, at least on my own front, I hope I succeeded."[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Results Archive - Tokyo 2020 - Swimming - Men S 50 M Freestyle S4". paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Results Archive - Tokyo 2020 - Swimming - Men S 200 M Freestyle S4". paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Results Archive - Tokyo 2020 - Swimming - Men S 150 M Individual Medley Sm4". paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Ami Omer Dadaon". paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Ami Dadaon wins Israel’s second Paralympics gold medal after setting new record in 100m freestyle," The Jerusalem Post.
  6. ^ a b c "Five medals to Israeli Paralympians - Malyar wins second gold," The Jerusalem Post.
  7. ^ "'When I'm in the water, I'm an elite athlete but when I return to Israel, I'm disabled'," Ynet.
  8. ^ "DADAON Ami Omer," International Paralympic Organization.
  9. ^ "DADAON Ami Omer". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  10. ^ "WATCH: Israeli swimmer defies cerebral palsy to win Paralympic gold," Israel HaYom.
  11. ^ a b "Israel Shines at the 2024 Paralympics: A Triumph of Strength and Resilience," Goodnet.

Media related to Ami Dadaon at Wikimedia Commons


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