Jonathan Kapitolnik Returns to Compete in Israel, Says European Championship Is His Main Goal

High jumper Jonathan Kapitolnik will compete Thursday evening in Jerusalem at the Grand Slam athletics meet, his first event in Israel since moving to the United States and joining the University of Illinois. The interview appeared on Sport 5 and was published on June 25, 2026, at 13:48.

Kapitolnik, 23, signed a four-year deal with Illinois less than six months ago in an effort to change his training environment and develop at one of the top programs in the sport. He is currently Israel’s leading high jumper at the highest level, with a personal best of 2.31 meters, which places him among the world’s top jumpers.

The early stages of his U.S. move were difficult. Soon after arriving in Illinois, he injured his leg and missed about three months of competition. He gradually returned to training and competition, and about a month and a half ago he cleared 2.21 meters at the conference championship, the college regional league. In the two meets before that, after recovering from the injury, he jumped 2.15 meters.

Asked about returning home for his first meet as a college athlete, Kapitolnik said, “I am happy to be here, I always love competing here.” He added that life in the U.S. has been a new and instructive experience, but competing in Israel feels like returning to a familiar kind of meet that he enjoys. He said the main goal is the European Championship, and the interview also mentioned the upcoming Ultimate meet in Budapest later in the summer.