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Eliezer Halfin

Eliezer Halfin was a Soviet-born Israeli wrestler who was killed as a hostage at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

1948 to 1972Victim of the Munich massacreIsraeli freestyle wrestling champion1972 Israeli Olympic wrestler

Born: 18 June 1948, Riga
Died: 6 September 1972, Fürstenfeldbruck
Occupation: amateur wrestler, athlete, mechanic, Olympic competitor

Eliezer Halfin was born in 1948 in Riga

Eliezer Halfin was born on 18 June 1948 in Riga, Latvia, then under Soviet rule. He started wrestling at 13 and later joined a professional wrestling team.

In 1969 he moved to Israel with his family and studied Hebrew at an ulpan in Kibbutz Shefayim. The family settled in Tel Aviv, where he joined Hapoel Tel Aviv and trained at the Wingate Institute. He worked as a mechanic and served in the army as a combat fitness instructor.

He was a lightweight wrestler who placed 12th at a world championship in Bulgaria. From 1969 to 1972 he was Israel's freestyle champion up to 68 kg. In 1972 he placed in international tournaments in Greece and Bucharest.

He competed for Israel at the 1972 Munich Olympics, winning 1 bout and losing 2. On 5 September 1972 Black September militants took him hostage with other team members. He was killed on 6 September during a failed German rescue attempt at a military airport and was buried in Kiryat Shaul Cemetery in Tel Aviv.