1981 Maccabiah Games

The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932.^[4] In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee.^[5][6][7] Among other Olympic and world champions, swimmer Mark Spitz won 10 Maccabiah gold medals before earning his first of nine Olympic gold medals.^[8]

In gymnastics, American Mitch Gaylord won 6 gold medals; he later went on to win Olympic gold. American Olympian Abie Grossfeld was Team USA's coach.^[9]

American tennis players Brad Gilbert (in doubles, with Jon Levine, over fellow Americans Rick Meyer and Paul Bernstein), Andrea Leand, and Jeff Klaparda earned gold medals.^[10][11][12] Justin Gimelstob was an assistant coach of Team USA's tennis squad.^[13] Israeli Shlomo Glickstein, who carried the Maccabiah torch into the stadium for the opening ceremony, won the men's singles in tennis (defeating Brad Gilbert), the first Israeli to win a Maccabiah tennis championship.^[14][1][15] Americans Dana Gilbert and Donna Rubin won the women's doubles.^[14]

In basketball, David Blatt, Danny Schayes (the first round draft pick of the NBA's Utah Jazz; carried the US flag in the opening ceremony), Al Walker, and Willie Sims won a gold medal with Team USA.^[16][17][18]

American fencers Paul Friedberg won a gold medal for the US in saber, Peter Schifrin won a silver medal in épée, and Elaine Cheris won an individual silver medal and a team gold medal in foil. British sabre fencer Paul Klenerman, who three years later fenced in the Olympics, also medaled.^[19][20] Canadian future Olympian Shelley Steiner won a gold medal.^[21]

In track and field, James Espir of Great Britain, who earlier that year had run a mile in 3 minutes 56.7 seconds, thereby becoming the fastest Jewish miler ever, won the 1500 metres and 5000 metres gold medals on successive days.^[22][23][24] Maya Kalle-Bentzur of Israel won the gold medal in the women's long jump, and Israeli future Olympian Yehuda Zadok won the gold medal in the 10,000 m race.^[25] Boris Djerassi of the United States won a gold medal in the hammer throw.^[26] Dave Edge of Canada, a long-distance runner who later competed in two Olympics, won a silver medal in the 10,000 m and a bronze medal in the mini-marathon.^[27] Canadian Gordon Orlikow, who later was a bronze medalist in the decathlon at the Pan American Games, won a bronze medal in the decathlon and a silver medal in the 110 m hurdles.^[15][28]

Swimming for Israel at the age of 14, Israeli future Olympian Hadar Rubinstein won gold medals in the women's 100 m butterfly, and in the women's 200 m butterfly.^{[29][30][31][32]} In swimming Lior Birkan won 3 gold and 2 silver medals. Mexican Helen Plaschinski won gold medals in swimming in the 100 and 200 m freestyle.^[24]

Mike Jeffries and Seth Roland represented the United States in soccer, winning a silver medal.^[33][14] Eli Ohana and Rafi Cohen represented Israel, winning a bronze medal.

In golf, American Corey Pavin won two gold medals.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Mark Berger, who three years later was to go on to win a silver medal in the Olympics, won a gold medal in wrestling, and a silver medal in judo.^[27][21] Canadian future Olympian Garry Kallos won two gold medals in wrestling, as did Canadian Olympian Howard Stupp.^[21]

In cricket, Alan Ezekowitz competed for England.^[38]

A total of 35 nations participated, in 31 sports, at 58 locations throughout Israel.^[1][15] Israel won the most medals (199), with 65 gold.^[14] The United States won 188 medals, 85 gold.^[14] South Africa, Britain, and Canada had the next-most total medals.^[15]

The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.

• Summaries of each of the Games