Aviv Barzelay

Barzelay first appeared on the Olympic stage at the Tokyo Games, which were postponed from 2020 and held in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.[3] She competed in the women's 200-meter backstroke, recording a time of 2:12.93 in the semifinal, finishing eighth in her heat and 15th overall.[5][1] She did not advance to the final.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Barzelay competed in both the women's 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke events.[6][2] In the 100-meter backstroke, she finished first in her heat with a time of 1:02.30, but ranked 25th overall and did not advance to the semifinal.[6] In the 200-meter backstroke, she finished 18th with a time of 2:10.71 and was eliminated from contention.[2] Her time in the 200-meter event at Paris represented an improvement over her Tokyo semifinal performance of 2:12.93.[1][2]

Israel sent a swimming delegation of 18 athletes to the Paris Games, with Barzelay among the returning Olympians.[4] The Israeli delegation competed under an elevated security presence at the Paris Olympics, a reflection of the heightened tensions surrounding Israel's participation in the Games.[7]

Following her 100-meter backstroke heat, Barzelay spoke about the atmosphere in Paris, saying, "We have a lot of security and I feel safe and the atmosphere is crazy, it's great."[7] She noted that the security arrangements allowed the athletes to concentrate on competition rather than the surrounding difficulties.[7] Barzelay also described the Israeli delegation's experience in the Olympic village, saying that its members made an effort to meet other athletes and remain open: "We're just here to be ourselves and have fun."[7]