Israel's Olympic Committee has withdrawn its four-man bobsleigh team from the 2026 Winter Games after an athlete falsely claimed to be ill in order to allow a substitute to race in his place, the Times of Israel reported on February 22.

The team, piloted by AJ Edelman, had completed two heats at the Milan-Cortina Games and was due to race in the final when athlete Uri Zisman told officials he was unwell and obtained a medical certificate to allow alternate Ward Fawarseh to take his place in the sled.

Before the substitution was formally processed, Zisman admitted he was fit to compete, rendering the medical declaration false. Olympic rules permit substitutions only in cases of genuine injury or illness.

The Olympic Committee of Israel said the attempt to engineer the swap "in an improper manner" breached fair-play standards and Olympic values, and decided the team would not be permitted to continue. The committee said the withdrawal was agreed with the athletes and that the matter has been referred for further review after the Games conclude.

“Information reached the heads of the Israeli delegation to the Olympic Games, indicating that members of the bobsleigh team sought to replace one of the participants in an improper manner that does not meet the standards expected of Olympic athletes and is not aligned with Olympic values. Therefore, it was decided not to allow the bobsleigh team to participate in the competition," the Olympic Committee of Israel confirmed in a press statement.

"The decision on the immediate suspension was also made with the agreement of the athletes themselves. The Israeli Olympic Committee views any deviation from the principles of fair play with great severity, and we cannot accept conduct that is inappropriate. We categorically condemn such behaviour."

It was Israel's first-ever four-man bobsleigh entry at a Winter Games. Reports noted the substitution attempt was partly motivated by a wish to allow Fawarseh, who is Druze, to compete and make history for his community.

The case has drawn wide international attention as an example of an Olympic delegation choosing to disqualify its own athletes over an integrity concern, rather than facing a ruling imposed from outside.

Israel sent 10 athletes to the Olympic Winter Games in northern Italy. Other sports that Israeli athletes are participating in include cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and figure skating.