Swimming and the entire Israeli sport are bowing their heads with the passing of Nahum Buch, Israel's first Olympic swimmer who died today (Monday) at the age of 90. Buch was the only swimmer to represent Israel at the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952 in the 100 freestyle.
He was also Israel's leader in this anointing, the champion of Israel and the champion of the Maccabiah with the messenger team.
After retiring from competitive swimming, he became a coach in the association he swam in, Brit Maccabim Atid, as well as the national coach in the Eighth Maccabiah swimming competitions in 1969. Among the prominent swimmers he coached were Olympians Shoshana Ribner, Amiram Trauber and Amnon Kraus and many other Israeli champions.
In the 70's he moved to Melbourne, where he lived until his last day.
In one of the recent Israeli championships, before the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, Boch came to the national pool at the Wingate Institute as a guest of honor and received applause from the entire pool.
Buch at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, photo: private archive
The Chairman of the Swimming Association Miki Halika said: "The entire Israeli swimming family mourns the passing of one of our greatest swimmers.
A man who charted a path for all of us and was the first to walk in paths that no Israeli had walked before.
On behalf of the swimming association, I send my condolences to his family and we intend to commemorate him during the upcoming Israeli championship.
Of blessed memory".
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