Exceptional: Israeli men's 4x200m freestyle relay team qualifies for Olympic final

Israel's men's 4x200m freestyle relay team has etched their names in the nation's sporting history. The quartet of Bar Soloveychik, Eitan Ben Shitrit, Gal Cohen Groumi, and Denis Loktev secured a spot in the Olympic final, marking only the sixth time Israeli swimming has reached this prestigious stage.

The team clocked an impressive 7:08.43, shattering the previous national record by 0.21 seconds. This stellar performance landed them in a tie for 8th place with Japan in the preliminaries, prompting officials to expand the final to nine teams instead of the usual eight.

Cohen Groumi stood out with a blistering split of 1:45.57, a time bettered by only three other swimmers in the entire field of 64 competitors.

This achievement marks a significant milestone for Israeli swimming: