01In brief
Tamar Katz is an Israeli singles figure skater born in Dallas, Texas. She finished 13th at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships, scoring 126.09 points. Described in 2008 as Israel’s leading female singles skater, she trained in the United States while pursuing her ambition of representing Israel at the Olympics. Although she met the International Olympic Committee’s qualification standard for the 2010 Winter Games, she was not selected because she did not meet Israel’s stricter requirement.
02Early Life
03Career
At the 2005 Skate Israel competition in Metulla, Katz placed fourth in the ladies’ event with 96.38 points, finishing outside the medals.[4] The competition was sanctioned by the International Skating Union and was described at the time as the only international figure-skating tournament held in Israel.[4]
A stress fracture prevented Katz from competing at the 2006 European Figure Skating Championships.[5] Israel Ice Skating Federation chairman Boris Chait expressed hope that she would be able to compete at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships that March.[5] At the January 2007 European Championships, Katz finished 13th overall with 126.09 points, placing 11th in the short program and 13th in the free program.[1]
By 2008, Katz was described as Israel’s top female singles figure skater and was temporarily residing in Monsey, New York, where she trained with members of Israel’s skating team.[2] Members of the team maintained temporary residences in the United States and Europe to train and prepare for competitions.[2] In 2010, she was living and training in Rockland County, New York, approximately 25 miles from New York City, and received a stipend from the Israel Skating Federation.[3]
At the January 2010 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, Katz finished 21st, half a point short of qualifying for the final.[3] She said that she had been sick in bed during the preceding weeks but felt good when she took the ice.[3] During her performance, she missed a triple lutz–double loop combination, the highest-scoring element in her program.[3]
Katz subsequently competed at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships, placing 27th among 55 participants in the women’s short program.[6] Skating to music from Gone with the Wind, she earned a season-best short-program score of 44.96 points.[6]
04Controversies
Katz met the International Olympic Committee’s standard for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but Israel’s Olympic Committee required a top-14 finish at the European Championships.[3] Her 21st-place result meant that Israel did not send her to Vancouver; after Israel notified the IOC, her place was reallocated to an Australian skater.[3][7]
Olympic Committee secretary-general Efraim Zinger defended the stricter policy as a means of concentrating limited resources on athletes considered to have medal prospects, arguing that experience could be gained at other international competitions.[3] Katz argued that Olympic exposure could improve her standing with judges and her prospects for 2014, while Israel Tennis Association professional director Shlomo Glickstein also criticized the requirements as too demanding.[3] Katz expressed her disappointment: “It is an honor for me to represent my country. I thought it would be the same for my country as well. I was shocked. I did everything to make it to the Olympics.”[3]
Sources
- 1The Jerusalem Post, Ice Skating: Katz wraps up European figure skating championships in 13th, accessed on November 11, 2026.
- 2The Times of Israel, The Jewish Standard, accessed on November 11, 2026.
- 3The Times of Israel, The Jewish Standard, accessed on November 11, 2026.
- 4The Jerusalem Post, FIGURE SKATING: Chait, Sakhnovsky, Serov shine at Skate Israel, accessed on November 11, 2026.
- 5The Jerusalem Post, Team Israel heads to European Figure Skating Championships, accessed on November 11, 2026.
- 6The Jerusalem Post, Ice Skating: Zaretskys place 6th at Worlds, accessed on November 11, 2026.
- 7The Jerusalem Post, Cold shoulder, accessed on November 11, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
Who is Tamar Katz?
Tamar Katz is an Israeli singles figure skater born in Dallas, Texas. She finished 13th at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships with 126.09 points and was described in 2008 as Israel’s leading female singles skater. She trained in the United States while pursuing her ambition of representing Israel at the Olympics.
Why did Tamar Katz not compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics?
Tamar Katz was not selected for the 2010 Winter Olympics because she did not meet Israel’s qualification requirement. Although she met the International Olympic Committee’s standard, Israel required a top-14 finish at the European Championships, and Katz placed 21st. Israel’s place was subsequently reallocated to an Australian skater.
Where did Tamar Katz live and train?
Tamar Katz lived in both Israel and the United States during her childhood, including in Metulla, near what was described in 2010 as Israel’s only ice-skating rink. By 2008, she was temporarily residing in Monsey, New York, and in 2010 she lived and trained in Rockland County, New York, approximately 25 miles from New York City. She received a stipend from the Israel Skating Federation.
How did Tamar Katz perform at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships?
Tamar Katz finished 13th overall at the January 2007 European Figure Skating Championships with 126.09 points. She placed 11th in the short program and 13th in the free program.
What happened to Tamar Katz at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships?
Tamar Katz finished 21st at the January 2010 European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, half a point short of qualifying for the final. She said she had been sick in bed during the preceding weeks but felt good when she took the ice. During her performance, she missed a triple lutz–double loop combination, the highest-scoring element in her program.
How did Tamar Katz perform at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships?
Tamar Katz placed 27th among 55 participants in the women’s short program at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships. Skating to music from Gone with the Wind, she earned a season-best short-program score of 44.96 points.
Why did Israel set a stricter Olympic qualification requirement for Tamar Katz?
Olympic Committee secretary-general Efraim Zinger defended Israel’s stricter requirement as a way to concentrate limited resources on athletes considered to have medal prospects. He argued that athletes could gain experience at other international competitions. Katz and Israel Tennis Association professional director Shlomo Glickstein criticized the demanding requirements.