Amitzur Shapira

Amitzur Shapira (Hebrew: עמיצור שפירא‎; July 9, 1932 - September 6, 1972) was an Israeli short distance runners in the 1950s and a coach for the Israeli track and field team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. At the time of his death he was also one of the country's best track coaches.

Early life

Amitzur Shapira was born in Israel and was a resident in Herzliya. For many years, he served as a teacher and educator at the Wingate Institute's Jewish College.

Munich massacre

When Shapira went to the 1972 Summer Olympics he was the head coach for the Israeli track and field team. During the 1972 Olympics he and 10 other members of the Israel Olympic team were taken hostage by Arab terrorists at the games. Two of the Israelis were shot in the beginning of the ordeal and the other nine (including Shapira) were held hostage and then later were murdered on the tarmac of Furstenfeldbruck airbase during a botched rescue attempt by Munich police and Bavarian border guards.

Amitzur Shapira was the coach of Esther Shachamarov who later became an Israeli Olympic athlete (in 1976, she became the first Israeli to reach an Olympic final). When she heard the news that her coach had been murdered she withdrew from the 1972 Olympics.

Amitzur Shapira is buried in Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv.

See also

• Munich massacre