Sportsאיאד שלבי

Iyad Shalabi

Iyad Shalabi is an Arab-Israeli Paralympic swimmer who won two gold medals for Israel at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

born 1987Two Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medalsFirst Arab-Israeli individual Paralympic medalistS1 class world record

Born: 16 July 1987, Shefa-Amr
Occupation: Para swimmer

Iyad Shalabi was born in 1987 in Shefa-Amr

Iyad Shalabi was born on 16 July 1987 in Shefa-Amr to a Muslim Arab family. He has been deaf and mute since birth. At 13 he was paralyzed after falling from a rooftop, and he uses a wheelchair.

He trains at the ILAN rehabilitation and sports center in Haifa with coach Yaacov Beininson. His father, Yusuf, goes with him to his competitions. He competes in the S1 disability class.

He swam for Israel at the Paralympics in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016. In 2018 he won a bronze medal in the 150 meter individual medley at the European Championships and set a world record for his class. In 2021 he won a European gold medal in the 50 meter backstroke.

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, held in 2021, he won gold in the 50 meter and 100 meter backstroke S1. He became the first Arab-Israeli to win an individual Paralympic medal. He was set to compete in Paris in 2024 but did not take part because his father was hospitalized.

Milestones in Iyad Shalabi's life

1987
Born in Shefa-Amr.
2007
Named swimmer of the year at the Israel Swimming Championships for the Disabled.
2008
Competed at the Beijing Paralympics.
2017
The documentary Swimming Against the Current about him was screened at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
2018
Won European bronze in the 150 meter medley and set a world record for his class.
2021
Won 2 gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
2024
Missed the Paris Paralympics after his father was hospitalized.