Israel at the 1994 Winter Olympics

Israel entered Olympic competition at the Summer Games in 1952 and took part in every subsequent Summer Olympics except Moscow in 1980.[3] The development of an internationally competitive Israeli skating program was later shaped by the mass aliyah from the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s, which brought experienced coaches, training methods, and athletes in winter sports.[4]

The Lillehammer Games marked the start of Israel's official representation at the Winter Olympics.[4] Israel's first Winter delegation arrived more than four decades after its Summer Olympic debut, and Shmerkin was its sole team member.[3][2]

Israel sent one athlete to Lillehammer: men's singles figure skater Michael “Misha” Shmerkin, whose first name is also rendered as Mikhail.[4][2] He represented Israel in the opening ceremony on February 12, becoming the country's first Winter Olympian.[1][2] His arrival followed three days of travel, two of them by train.[1]

Shmerkin competed in men's singles on February 17.[3] He placed 16th.[4][3] As the delegation's only competitor, he accounted for Israel's entire presence at the 1994 Winter Games.[2]

Shmerkin's appearance is regarded as the beginning of Israel's Winter Olympic history.[1][2] His participation also laid the foundation for the country's regular presence at later Winter Games.[4] Looking back on Israel's comparatively late entry into Olympic figure skating, ice dancer Roman Zaretsky said, “The first figure skater from Israel that went to the Olympics was in 1994, so we're 84 years behind.”[5]

Israel fielded larger and more varied Winter Olympic delegations after Lillehammer. Galit Chait became Israel's first female Winter Olympic competitor in 1998 and placed 14th in ice dance.[3] At the 2022 Beijing Games, Israel sent six athletes; alpine skier Barnabas Szollos finished sixth, matching the country's best Winter Olympic placing from 2002.[2]

As of October 2, 2026, Israel had not won a Winter Olympic medal, in contrast to its medal record at the Summer Games.[6]

Sources disagree on the date of Israel's first Winter Olympic participation. My Jewish Learning says Israel began sending athletes to the Winter Games in 1988, but the passage does not identify an Israeli competitor from that year.[7]

By contrast, the Jewish Virtual Library dates participation to 1994 and identifies Shmerkin as Israel's only athlete at Lillehammer.[2] The Israeli Cultural Center likewise describes the 1994 Lillehammer Games as the beginning of Israel's official Winter Olympic representation, while the Center for Israel Education calls Shmerkin the first Israeli Winter Olympian.[1][4] Britannica's participation table also lists Israel from 1994 onward.[8] The available event-specific accounts therefore support 1994 as the documented debut while leaving the 1988 statement as a source discrepancy.