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Israeli Olympic bobsled captain doubles down on loyalty to country after broadcaster condemned his team for it
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Team Israel Olympic bobsled captain AJ Edelman has accomplished a life mission — leading the first ever Israeli bobsled team to the reach the Olympics.
He had to sacrifice millions in Bitcoin to get his team to Milan Cortina, then had to live off smoked salmon and pizza for two weeks when he got there.
It wasn’t even the best pizza that he’s had. He prefers Chicago deep dish.
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And the whole team had to take some arrows throughout the process. The hotel Edelman’s team was saying at was burglarized days before the competition began.
Then, when they finally made it onto the track, a broadcaster went on a politically charged tirade against the team while it competed. The broadcaster referenced the military service of several athletes on the team.
“Edelman, a first-time Olympian and self-described ‘Zionist to the core,’ who has posted several messages on social media in support of the genocide in Gaza,” RTS presenter Stefan Renna said during the team’s heat in the men’s two-man bobsled Olympic competition on Feb. 16.
“This raises the question of his presence in Cortina during these games, since the [International Olympic Committee] had indicated that athletes who have — and I quote — ‘actively supported the war by participating in pro-war events, being militarily engaged, or via their activities on their social media networks’ were not eligible to participate.”
The entire broadcast was later removed from the RTS website. But millions had already found out about it, including Edelman and his teammates.
“This individual clearly pre-wrote a diatribe timed to two minutes, you know, the entirety of our run. I just think it’s so sad, I don’t know how you can live like that,” he said.
“On a personal level, I’ve dealt with so much worse. I said those things. I said I’m a Zionist, I said I’m proud of Ward [Fawarseh], who served. I said that. I said what I said. I believe Israel is just. I believe it’s a force for good. I stand for that force for good. I represent that force for good. So when someone just says that I represent evil or I am evil for representing what I represent, it’s like water off the back.”
Multiple members of the Israeli team served in the nation’s military. Some of them were deployed to Gaza to fight Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
“Israelis are Israelis. What they do in the service of the country is always going to define who they are,” Edelman said.
“We view ourselves right now entirely as athletes… I can say that as athletes, as men, as humans and Israelis, I’m very proud of their accomplishments on the Olympic stage.”
The team finished 26th in the two-man bobsled competition, falling short of Edelman’s pre-Olympic goal of making the top 20. Germany won 10 of all 12 bobsled medals and all eight golds and silvers in Milan Cortina. The team was then disqualified by the Israel Olympic Federation after one of its athletes lied to Olympic officials about an illness so the team could make a substitution. The team did not make it to the last day of the games.
Prior to that, Edelman celebrated the accomplishment due to its historic symbolism and the adversity it took to get there.
Israel’s Adam Edelman, left, and Menachem Chen celebrate at the end of a two-man bobsled run at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The team came just 0.01 seconds shy of making the Beijing Games four years ago. Then many of the team’s athletes were called to war after Oct. 7 the following year.
For Edelman, just ensuring the team existed at that point was anything but certain.
They came all the way back to qualify for Milan Cortina in what was, one way or another, Edelman’s last attempt at the Olympics.
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But they couldn’t even make it to Milan Cortina before adversity struck.
En route to Italy, the team was staying at a hotel in Prague, Czech Republic. As captain, Edelman traveled ahead to Venice, and that’s when he found out his team’s hotel in Prague had been burglarized and vandalized.
“It was just another Tuesday for us,” Edelman said.
“We’ve been turned away from staying from places in Germany because it was Christmas Eve and they saw that we’re Jewish. Another athlete who is competing in the Games this time actually said that he wouldn’t ever compete on this team because Israel is a bunch of ‘baby killers.’ A swastika was drawn on our team van.”
They moved past the burglary to put their best foot forward once the competition began.
The reward came when fan mail from Israel started flowing in. It reminded Edelman and his teammates why they did this. They wanted to inspire their countrymen, especially the next generation, to achieve unlikely feats.
“The reception of the team has been overwhelming,” Edelman said. “They’re putting their hopes and their dreams into your journey, and that’s just something very special. When they think back on it, they probably won’t remember you, they probably won’t remember you at all, but they’ll remember the country was represented.”
In the final days of the games, as Edelman came to the end of his journey of more than a decade, he reflected on it all.
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Israel’s Adam Edelman, left, and Menachem Chen arrive at the finish during a two-man bobsled run at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
“I still haven’t processed really being here,” Edelman said. “I don’t know what it will look like when all that is said and done….
“I’ve woken up every day for the last 12 years and went to bed every night for the last 12 years with a goal in mind, and with a determination to get this thing done. Now that I will have realized that it is done, I don’t know exactly how that will look like. I think in some sense I’m worried, in some sense I’m excited.”
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Chiefs’ Marquise Brown reveals receiving message from Rondale Moore hours before his death: ‘Ain’t no way’
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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The NFL community continues to mourn the death of wide receiver Rondale Moore, who was found dead at his Indiana home on Saturday night, officials said.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was among those who couldn’t believe the news, and he revealed he had just spoken with Moore not hours before he was discovered with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in a garage.
As tributes poured in on social media for Moore, Brown said that he received a message from his fellow receiver earlier on Saturday.
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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown (5) against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
“Bro ain’t no way brotha you just messaged me [a] few hours ago,” Brown wrote on X. Brown posted another tweet saying, “You wasn’t alone bro… I told you I know how you feel.”
Brown also reposted tributes from other NFL players like Raheem Mostert, Elijah Moore, Jamal Adams and others.
He even shared a text thread that he had with Moore, where he shared words of encouragement after the receiver suffered another season-ending injury. He had dealt with one in 2024, and during the Minnesota Vikings’ first preseason game of 2025, Moore tore his ACL on Aug. 9, 2025.
NFL WIDE RECEIVER RONDALE MOORE DEAD AT 25
“Praying for you brother,” Brown wrote to Moore with a praying hands emoji, “sometimes in life when stuff don’t go as planned as frustrating as it may be have to always remember God is in control, his plan will always prevail all we can do is trust him and always remember someone has it worse. I’m here if you ever need to talk bro I know how s— feel it sucks dawg but knowing you, you built for this don’t give up [flexed arm emoji.”
New Albany police chief Todd Bailey broke the news that Moore was found in a garage with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. The death remains under investigation.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)
Floyd County Coroner Matthew Tomlin also confirmed Moore’s death. He said an autopsy would take place on Sunday.
Moore entered the NFL as an Arizona Cardinals pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after starring at Purdue. He played three seasons with the Cardinals before he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. However, a season-ending injury cut his time short in Atlanta.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, teammates, and everyone who loved him and had the privilege of knowing such a special person,” the Cardinals said in a statement.
He would join the Vikings before the start of last season, but that injury in August didn’t allow him to get a shot at making the roster for that season.
Chiefs receiver Hollywood Brown revealed Rondale Moore messaged him just hours before his death on Saturday night. (GETTY)
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“I am devastated by the news of Rondale’s death. While Rondale had been a member of the Vikings for a short time, he was someone we came to know well and care about deeply,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement. “He was a humble, soft-spoken, and respectful young man who was proud of his Indiana roots.
“As a player, he was disciplined, dedicated and resilient despite facing adversity multiple times as injuries sidelined him throughout his career. We are all heartbroken by the fact he won’t continue to live out his NFL dream and we won’t all have a chance to watch him flourish.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The American center’s overtime goal will go down in history as the United States ends its 46-year Olympic drought.
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T20 World Cup: South Africa inflict humiliating defeat on India in Super Eight clash – SUCH TV
A disciplined bowling effort after David Miller’s fiery half-century helped South Africa crush India by 76 runs in their Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The defeat marked India’s first in the ongoing 20-team tournament and ended their 13-match unbeaten streak in T20 World Cups since their gruelling 10-wicket defeat at the hands of England in the semi-final of the 2022 edition.
In all ICC tournaments, however, it was the first defeat for the Men in Blue in 18 matches, with their last setback dating back to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia, which coincidentally came at the same venue.
Set to chase a daunting 188-run target, the home side could accumulate 111 before getting bowled out in 18.5 overs despite Shivam Dube’s gutsy knock.
The all-rounder waged a lone battle for the home side and top-scored with a valiant 42-run knock, but his efforts were insufficient for steering the defending champions to extend their unbeaten streak to 14 matches in the T20 World Cups.
Besides him, fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya and captain Suryakumar Yadav, 18 each, followed by opener Abhishek Sharma (15) and middle-order batter Washington Sundar (11) could amass double figures against the disciplined South Africa bowling attack.
Jansen spearheaded South Africa’s bowling charge with a four-wicket haul, followed by experienced spinner Keshav Maharaj with three wickets, all of which came in the pulsating 15th over.
They were supported by Corbin Bosch, who bagged two wickets, while skipper Aiden Markram chipped in with one scalp.
Opting to bat first, the Proteas accumulated 187/7 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a defiant 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Miller and Dewald Brevis.
South Africa, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as India’s pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh ran through their top order, comprising captain Aiden Markram, wicketkeeper batter Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, inside four overs with just 20 runs on the board.
Following the early setback, Miller joined Brevis in the middle, and the duo batted valiantly to force an astounding recovery by putting together 97 runs for the fourth wicket off just 49 deliveries.
The threatening stand was eventually broken by Shivam Dube in the 13th over when he got Brevis caught at deep mid-wicket by Abhishek Sharma.
Brevis walked back after scoring a crucial 45 off 29 deliveries with the help of three sixes and as many fours.
Miller was then involved in a 35-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Tristan Stubbs until eventually falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy in the 16th over and walking back after top-scoring for South Africa with a 35-ball 63, laced with seven fours and three sixes.
His dismissal halted the flow of runs for South Africa as Indian bowlers tightened the grip and were ultimately rewarded on the second delivery of the 18th over when Arshdeep got rid of Marco Jansen, who could muster two off six deliveries.
Stubbs, on the other hand, batted until the end and added valuable runs to South Africa’s total with an unbeaten 44 off 24 deliveries, featuring three sixes and a four.
Bumrah spearheaded India’s bowling charge with three wickets for just 15 runs in his four overs, followed by Arshdeep with two, while Chakravarthy and Dube made one scalp apiece.
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