Israeli cycling champion honors released hostage, Ofer Calderon: 'This medal is for you'
Silver medalist, Michael Yakovlev, bestowed his win on fellow Israeli cyclist, finally freed after 484 days in captivity. "I want to dedicate this medal to Ofer Calderon, a cyclist who was held captive by Hamas and has finally returned home. I hope we can all ride together soon," he said.
The two met at the World Jewish Sports Museum in Kfar Maccabiah on Tuesday evening after Michael Yakovlev won the European track cycling silver medal at the Israeli Cycling Federation's gala event.
Calderon, also an avid cyclist, is part of the 'Smurfs' cycling group, who tirelessly fought for his release for over 15 months. According to YNet, the close-knit group, which has been going for over a decade, dedicated every ride in recent months to his safe return and marked his birthday at the velodrome while he was still held in the Hamas tunnels.
Yakovlev and Calderon visited the "Unbreakable" exhibition at the World Jewish Sports Museum in Kfar Maccabiah together, focusing on the resilience shown by Israeli sportsmen and women during the Hamas attack and the war, and including items owned by cyclists and other athletes murdered on Oct. 7, 2023.
Calderon saw the film representing his own life and captivity, and was able to write the end of the story, contributing the details of his release to be added to the exhibition. Calderon lost 25 kilograms during his ordeal (55 pounds) and with Yakovlev towering above him in height, he jokingly stood on a chair to take a photo together with the cycling champion.
Dafna Lang, Chair of the Israeli Cycling Federation, told Israel Hayom, "This evening is incredibly emotional and marks the end of a turbulent year, blending joy and sorrow. On one hand, we faced the war of October 7, the 'Riding Forward' project, which won the President’s Award, and the tragic loss of members of our community. On the other hand, we saw historic achievements in Israeli cycling, including a fresh European Championship medal."
She made reference to the “Smurfs” cycling group and their dedication to Calderon and the hostages, saying, "We all wore shirts saying 'Ride for the Release of the Hostages' every Saturday at the Hostages Square protests. When I showed up with the shirt today, Ofer asked me if it was for him. It felt like coming full circle when I gave it to him—it was deeply moving. But we must not forget that there are still hostages."
Member of the Smurfs group, Navit Hermesh, spoke about how Oct. 7 had been devastating for the cycling community saying, "The worst part was losing Oren Goldin, the youngest in our group, who was murdered in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak.”
She added, “When Ofer was kidnapped, it felt like the ground was pulled from under us. We barely rode for six months, focusing instead on keeping his memory alive. Seeing him again felt like our hearts began beating again."
Olympic Committee Chai, Yael Ara, and Sports Lobby Chairman, Simon Davidson, also both spoke with Calderon at the Unbreakable exhibition, and the owner of the Israel Premier Tech cycling team, Sylvan Adams, invited him to join the Tour de France as an honorary guest.
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
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