Bar Soloveychik

Soloveychik was identified in June 2021 as a 20-year-old swimmer from Kiryat Bialik.[4] He began that season with an 800-meter freestyle personal best of 8:08.00, before swimming under eight minutes three times in less than three months.[4]

In March 2021, Soloveychik broke the Israeli 400-meter freestyle record twice in one day at the Wingate Union Cup.[5] His first time, 3:50.79, improved the previous record by 0.66 seconds and met the European Championships qualifying standard.[5] He then lowered the mark to 3:49.77, becoming the first Israeli to complete the event in under 3:50.[5] Afterward, he said: “I have a lot more to give; this is only the beginning.”[5]

On April 1, 2021, he set an Israeli 800-meter freestyle record of 7:59.40, breaking Gil Keizler’s record and qualifying for the European Championships in that event.[5] At the European Championships in Budapest that May, he finished 29th in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:55.18.[6] Most of Israel’s team had arrived at the competition without full preparation.[6]

In June 2021, Soloveychik attempted to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in the 800-meter freestyle.[4] He swam the opening 200 meters faster than he had at Wingate but slowed later, finishing sixth overall in 7:57.95, 1.1 seconds outside the Olympic qualifying standard.[4] This was his third sub-eight-minute swim in less than three months.[4]

By March 2022, Soloveychik was swimming for the University of Minnesota and was among seven Israeli men who qualified for the NCAA national college swimming championships.[7] Together with two women, they formed a record contingent of nine Israeli qualifiers.[7] At a Pro Swim Series meet in San Antonio the following month, he placed third in the 200-meter freestyle in 1:49.07.[8] He finished five hundredths of a second ahead of Olympic champion and world-record holder Caeleb Dressel, who placed fourth.[8] The meet was the Israeli swimmers’ first long-course competition of the season, following a demanding college season.[8]

At the 21st Maccabiah in 2022, Soloveychik won the 400-meter freestyle in 3:54.75 and broke the competition’s 33-year-old record.[1] His performance accounted for one of three Maccabiah records broken at those Games.[1] After the race, he said: “I feel very proud to compete in the Maccabiah and break the Maccabiah record, especially since it is a very special record that has stood for decades.”[1] He also expressed anticipation for upcoming competitions, including the European Championship in Rome the following month.[1]

Soloveychik entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as one of the newcomers in Israel’s 18-swimmer delegation.[9] In the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay heats, he swam alongside Denis Loktev, Eitan Ben Shitrit, and Gal Cohen Groumi.[10] The team finished fifth in its heat, tying Japan for eighth overall in 7:08.43 and advancing to the final.[10] Cohen Groumi swam the anchor leg in 1:45.57.[10] The qualifying time set a new Israeli record.[3] It also secured Israel’s first Olympic final in the event.[2]

In the final, Soloveychik swam with Tomer Frankel, Gal Cohen Groumi, and Denis Loktev, with Frankel replacing Ben Shitrit.[3] Israel finished ninth in 7:10.22.[3]

Soloveychik’s record progression included Israeli marks in both the 400- and 800-meter freestyle during 2021.[5] His 3:49.77 in the 400-meter freestyle made him the first Israeli to finish the event in under 3:50.[5] He later broke a 33-year-old Maccabiah record in the event.[1] At the Paris Olympics, he helped Israel set a national record and reach the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay final.[3]