In a day of high drama at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Israel experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Israel’s men’s swimming team made history on Tuesday morning by setting a new national record in the 4×200m freestyle relay with an impressive time of 7:08.43. This outstanding performance not only broke the previous Israeli record but also secured the team a coveted spot in the finals, marking Israel’s first-ever Olympic final appearance in this event.

The stellar relay team consisted of Bar Soloveychik, Gal Cohen Groumi, Denis Loktev, and Tomer Frankel, with Frankel stepping in for Eitan Ben Shitrit, who had participated in the qualifying heat.

In individual events, Tomer Frankel showed promise in the men’s 100m freestyle, finishing second in his heat. However, his overall 21st place finish wasn’t enough to advance to the semifinals. Frankel will have another opportunity to shine on Friday when he competes in the 100m butterfly.

While the swimming team rode a wave of success, Israel’s soccer dreams were dashed later in the day.

In a tense match that stretched into overtime, the Israeli soccer team suffered a narrow defeat against Japan, ending their Olympic journey at the group stage. Despite the team’s efforts, they were unable to break through Japan’s solid backline, which had not conceded a goal in the tournament, leading to a 0-1 loss.

“We have to be tough without the ball and smart with the ball,” head coach Guy Luzon said prior to the match. “Japan is one of the best teams in the tournament, they didn’t concede a goal until now and we know it will not be an easy game.”

The match was a must-win for Israel following a draw in their opener with Mali (1-1) and a subsequent defeat to Paraguay (2-4), leaving them needing to overcome the unbeaten Japanese team to keep their tournament hopes alive.