Israel, not exactly an athletic super power when it comes to winter sports, hopes to skate to some surprising results at this year's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The Israeli Olympic delegation, in its third winter appearance, is its largest and strongest ever. Though hopes for a medal may be overly optimistic, the team promises respectable performances.

The Israeli team is sporting a strong figure skating program, influenced heavily by the influx of Russian immigrants over the past decade, bringing their winter sports heritage with them. Even so, the country has only one suitable arena for skating training - the Canada Center in the northern town of Metulla - making the preparation of a worthy Olympic team a challenge.

That is why ice dance couple Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski did most of their training in the United States. The skaters, both 26, have been paired up for six years. Chait is a native of the central Israeli town of Kfar Saba who grew up in New Jersey. Sakhnovski immigrated to Israel from Moscow six years ago. The pair, currently ranked fifth in the world, has the best chance to bring Israel a medal this year.

In the Nagano Olympics in 1998, Chait and Sakhnovski won a respectable 14th place. During the past four years of practice they have matured professionally, training with world-renowned coaches and improving their routines.

Chait carried Israel's flag as the Israeli delegation marched into the stadium during the opening ceremony on Friday. She has just recovered from a very bad case of the flu, which she contracted as the couple finished in 5th place at the recent European Championships in Lusanne, Switzerland.

The couple's costumes feature large Jewish stars, and their music selection for the Free Dance competition consists of a medley that includes "Hava Nagila," "My Yiddishe Mama," and "Heveinu Shalom Aleichem."

"We expect them to finish in the top six places," says Gilli Lustig, head of the Department for Competitive Sports at the Israeli Ministry of Science, Culture and Sports.

As for Israel's other ice dancing couple, Natalia Gudina and Alex Bletski, both 21, expectations are for a finish in about 15th place. The two are married, and immigrated to Israel from Ukraine two years ago. At the European championships Gudina and Bletski finished in 15th place.

"We are sending two of the world's top 24 ice dance couples," Judith Javor, secretary of the Israel Ice Skating Federation told the Jerusalem Post.

First time Israel has an Olympic speed skater
Completing the Israeli squad is short-track speed skater Olga Danilov. The 28-year-old Danilov is ranked 10th in Europe. She followed her sister to Israel from the Ukraine in 1994 and started training with Boris Drabkin, former trainer of the Russian national speed skating team, who moved to northern Israel 11 years ago.

Danilov just missed a chance to participate in the Nagano Olympics (she needed to be in the top 20 in the world to qualify but was ranked 22nd). In 1998 she married Alexander Danilov, Israel's Olympic competitor in pistol shooting. After giving birth to her daughter, Nicole, she returned to training in late 1999. While finishing fifth at the 2001 European championships, she had a dismal performance at this year's competition.

"This is Israel's third time in the Winter Olympics, although it is the first time the country is participating in speed skating," Javor told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency recently. "The Olympic committee is getting used to having Israel participate in winter sports, as is the International Skating Union," she added. "We still have to work very hard, but having Olga helps."

In addition, Israel will have a judge at the Winter Olympics for the first time. Katalin Alpern was selected by the International Olympic Committee to be one of the judges at the figure skating competition.

"Eight years ago we first participated in the Winter Olympics with one representative," Lustig summed up, quoted on ynet. "Four years ago we had three representatives, and today we are represented by five athletes. We have a good team that will bring us much honor," he said.

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