Israeli triathlete competes in Saudi Arabia

LAST Sunday, triathlete Shachar Sagiv became the first Israeli athlete to compete in Saudi Arabia, according to the Israeli Olympic Committee, in the latest sign of growing informal ties between the former enemy states.

Sagiv competed in the Saudi city of Neom on the same day that Israeli junior women’s tennis player Isabell Bilaus played Saudi opponent Yara Al-Hogbani in a tournament in Bahrain.

Israeli Olympic Committee head Yael Arad called Sagiv’s presence at the Saudi Neom leg of the Super League Triathlon “a very significant breakthrough”.

“In the past year, we’ve seen many Arab states come to terms with the fact that hosting an international tournament means hosting Israelis,” Arad said in a statement.

“This is a growing trend, and the true force in normalisation between nations, and especially people.”

A Saudi official did not respond to a request for comment.

Sagiv, 28, was eliminated from the race after falling in the bike ride.

Credit: AJN