91-yr-old champion
Three months after being named European champion, 91-year-old Israeli long-distance runner Semion Simkin has won the world championship for senior runners in Lyon, France.
Semion Simkin Photo: Israel Hayom
Simkin finished the 6.2-mile race with a time of 1:20:01, beating the runner-up from Argentina by 21 minutes and 26 seconds. A day earlier, Simkin won the silver medal in the 3.1-mile race.
“This is a scenario I never even dreamed of. I hope that in the future I will still have the strength to continue and to bring honor to Israel,” Simkin said after his victory, Israel Hayom reported.
Simkin, who was born in Belarus and survived the Holocaust, is a father of two, grandfather of four, and great-grandfather of six. Despite being legally blind, he prefers competing without any concessions on his behalf.
JNS.org
