In skeleton, the athlete lies on his sled face-down and travels up to 90 mph ( 145 km / h) through an ice channel. Of course, such an ice channel is difficult to find in Israel, so AJ Edelman had to train in the US, where he grew up.
Edelman is not only the first skeleton athlete from Israel to compete in the Olympic Games, he’s also the first Orthodox Jewish athlete from the Holy Land to participate. Before each run, Edelman would recite psalms beside his sled, and he of course refused to compete on Shabbat.
Emblazoned on Edelman’s helmet was the image of Samson drawn in comic style. Edelmen didn’t have much to say about the statement made by his helmet design, but it’s clear that he’s very proud of his Jewish heritage.
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