Header

For more on the Frozen Chosen, please visit www.israelibobsled.com

Monday, May 17, 2004

Going for Olympic Gold - Final Israeli Bobsled Team Member Chosen

Jerusalem, May 17, 2004

In the final trials for the first-ever Israeli Bobsled Team - IBT (www.israelibobsled.com), John Frank, former San Francisco 49er and Aaron Zeff, former US Fighter pilot have named Moshe Horowitz, a 25-year-old Jerusalemite and member of the National Football and Rugby teams to the National Bobsled Team.  Horowitz is a student at Columbia University in New York, and is currently studying on a semester-abroad program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Horowitz moved to Israel with his family from New Haven, Connecticut in 1982.

“The reality and euphoria of the win only hit me on the ride home,” Horowitz said, “John and Aaron are serious athletes and serious competitors, and it is a pleasure to have been chosen to race with them.”

Horowitz has been named the alternate brakeman and will be joining his fellow teammates, John Frank, Aaron Zeff, and Canadian David Greaves during the summer in Calgary, Canada for training.   Following the training, Horowitz will commence the bobsled-piloting course in September.

The upcoming season unfolds from November 2004 through February 2005.  Competitions include the North American Championship, the World Cup and the World Championships where Israel is eligible to compete in the two-man and 4-man races.

Following the appointment of Horowitz to the IBT, team captain and brakeman John Frank announced the creation of a secondary squad. The “B” team will include trial finalists Shai Shalev, Israel shot-put champion; Valeriy Tomilov, Bronze winner in the Russian Arm Wrestling Championships; Shahar Mozer, runner up in the Israeli shot-put championship; and Aryeh Bauman, former runner up in the World Arm Wrestling Championships and member of the Israeli National American Football Team.

“We were very impressed by the skills and strength shown by the participants”, said Frank, assessing the finalists. “Together with the competitiveness and fighting spirit, I believe that the achievement of the Israeli Bobsled Team in international events will lead the Israeli team to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino.”

The Israeli Bobsled team, sponsored by D-3 Diamonds (www.d-3diamonds.com), hopes to be a source of pride for the State of Israel in these turbulent times. “When you think of Israel, bobsled is not the first thing that comes to mind – yet,” says Aaron Zeff, the driver/pilot for IBT. “Our primary goal is to bring bobsledding and the opportunity to compete in this thrilling sport to each and every Israeli and proudly represent Israel on the international scene.”

#  #  #

Ruder Finn
Dena +972-544-676-982  dena@ruderfinn.co.il

Tuesday, May 4, 2004

Israel Bobsledders Seek "One Good Man"

Archived from Jerusalem Post, May 4, 2004

The Israeli Bobsled Team will hold tryouts next week to find the fourth and final member of the squad that will try to qualify for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

The tryouts will take place on May 11 at the Canada Center in Metulla and May 12 at Kfar Maccabia in Ramat Gan.  Those that advance from the first rounds will meet at Wingate Institute on May 14 to fight it out for the lone available spot.

The IBT's requirements for the tryouts are athletes of at least 1.75 meters in height, who weigh at least 100kg.  They will be expected to run 30 meters in under four seconds, jump vertically 70cm, bench press 120kg, and power clean over 100kg.

The lucky athlete that is selected will live, train, and compete with the team on Olympic tracks in the U.S., Canada, and Europe to qualify for the 2006 Olympics.

The three members of the team are Aaron Zeff, John Frank, and David Greaves, and they are coached by New Zealand native Ross Dominikovich.

"When you think of Israel, bobsled is not the first thing that comes to mind - yet," says team driver/pilot Zeff, himself a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.  "Our primary goal is to bring bobsledding and the opportunity to compete in this thrilling sport to each and every Israeli.  We want the Israeli Bobsled Team to be source of national pride during the 2006 Winter Olympics and beyond."

"We're serious athletes with purpose and ambition," says brakeman Frank, a former NFL tight end with the San Francisco 49ers.  "We are here to look for the last piece of the puzzle - a young, ambitious, and talented Israeli athlete to be an integral part of our winning team."