Gideon Ariel
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 Gideon Ariel (1960) | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | גדעון אריאל |
| National team |  Israel |
| Born | April 27, 1939 Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Alma mater | |
| Height | 6-0 (184 cm) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Israel |
| Sport | Discus and Shot Put |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests |
|
| Updated on 28 August 2016 | |
Gideon Ariel (גדעון אריאל; also "Uriel," born April 27, 1939) is an Israeli former Olympic track and field athlete.[1] He competed in the shot put and discus throw.[1]
Early and personal life
Ariel was born in Tel Aviv, Israel.[1] His father, the son of a rabbi, was born in Poland in 1904, and made aliyah (moved to Israel, then known as Palestine) in 1922, and ultimately became a hotel manager and then head of customs at the Jaffa port, as well as a member of the Stern Gang.[2] His mother worked as the secretary to the Mayor of Tel Aviv.[2] His parents divorced when he was ten years old.[3][2] At the age of 11, he moved to a kibbutz.[3] He served three years in the Israel Defense Forces.[3]
He studied at the Wingate Institute in Israel, and later attended the University of Wyoming on an athletic scholarship, beginning in 1963 and graduating in 1966.[2][3] Ariel obtained a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts in Exercise Science.[3] He and his former wife Yael Tzabar have a child, Geffen Olympia.[2][3] He lived in Lake Metacomet and Coto de Caza, California.[3]
Shot put and discus throwing career
When Ariel competed in the Olympics, he was 6-0 (184 cm) tall, and weighed 220 lbs (100 kg).[1]
Ariel competed for Israel at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, at the age of 21, in the Men's Shot Put, and came in 22nd with a distance of 14.65 meters.[1] He was also the flag bearer for Israel at the 1960 Olympics.
Ariel competed for Israel at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, at the age of 25, in the Men's Discus Throw, and came in 26th with a distance of 46.12 meters.[1] He was also the flag bearer for Israel at the 1964 Olympics.
His personal best in the discus throw was 55.22 meters, in 1964.[1]
Ariel's personal best in the shot put was 16.27 meters, in 1966.[1]
Career in biomechanical performance optimization
Ariel developed a business of biomechanical services, ranging from physical rehabilitation to personalized athletic instruction, working with athletes including Olympic champion discuss thrower Al Oerter--who after working with Ariel, at age 43 threw a discuss 27 feet farther than his best gold medal performance.[3][4] Ariel became chairman of the U.S. Olympic Biomechanical Committee, and founded of Ariel Dynamics in San Diego, to apply biomechanical concepts to sports performance.[5]
References
External links
- arielnet.com, Ariel's company's homepage
- "David Letterman with Dr. Gideon Ariel "