Israeli Paralympic Rowers Milfelder and Shaheen Win Bronze at World Championships

Israeli Paralympic rowers Shahar Milfelder and Salah Shaheen secured a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships on August 27, 2026. The duo, who previously won medals at the Paris Paralympic Games and the European Championships, finished third in the 2000-meter mixed double sculls event with a time of 8:14.46. The gold medal went to the German pair Beyer and Umbach, who completed the race in 8:08.26, while the Chinese team Liu and Yang took silver with 8:09.24. Notably, the Chinese team were the reigning world champions from the previous year.

Milfelder overcame bone cancer at age 15, undergoing multiple surgeries including partial removal of her pelvis before making a full recovery. Shaheen, a Druze and IDF disabled veteran, was severely injured in his legs during a terror attack at the Karni Crossing, where he worked as a security guard after his military service as a combat soldier. Earlier the same day, Israeli single sculler Shmulik Daniel advanced to the World Championships semifinals after finishing second in his 2000-meter heat with a time of 10:22.86. The rowing team is coached by Dima Margolin and Sergi Bukriev.