Israeli Bobsled Team's Apartment Robbed of 'Thousands of Dollars' Worth of Items During Winter Olympics Training
- - Israeli Bobsled Team's Apartment Robbed of 'Thousands of Dollars' Worth of Items During Winter Olympics Training
Charlotte PhillippFebruary 8, 2026 at 5:19 AM
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Jared Firestone of Israel competes on Day 1 of the 2025 IBSF World Championships on March 6, 2025.
Al Bello/Getty
An apartment being used by members of the Israeli bobsled team was allegedly robbed while they were practicing
AJ Edelman, the driver for the team, said that in addition to passports, the stolen items included suitcases, shoes and sporting equipment
The 2026 Olympic Games mark the first time that Israel is competing in the bobsled competition
Valuable items owned by members of the Israeli bobsled team were allegedly stolen from their apartment while they were practicing ahead of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, AJ Edelman, the driver for the Israeli bobsled team, revealed in a post on X that "thousands of dollars of stuff and passports were stolen" from the residence.
"What a season..." the former Olympic skeleton athlete wrote, alongside a photo of investigators searching the apartment.
Edelman revealed that in addition to passports, the stolen items included suitcases, shoes and sporting equipment, but the team headed back to training soon after.
"I have to say, the @israelbobsled team is just such a fine example of how we push forward in difficult circumstances," he said.
While training for the Olympics the @israelbobsled apartment was broken into during their training, thousands of dollars of stuff and passports were stolen. What a season... pic.twitter.com/6Y9cDPofbC
— AJ Edelman, OLY (@realajedelman) February 7, 2026
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The team was training in the Czech Republic ahead of the competition in Italy, and the incident is being investigated by local authorities, according to the New York Post.
Edelman told the that he was in Italy, not at the site of the robbery, when he announced the incident.
The Olympic Committee of Israel did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
The 2026 Olympic Games mark the first time that Israel is competing in the bobsled competition, according to the AP.
The team qualified for the games after Britain decided not to take one of its two allocated spots for Milan Cortina, per the outlet. Israel was next in line and accepted the offer to compete when the last Olympic slots opened.
The team is set to compete in the two- and four-man events, with Edelman driving both sleds. He will compete with teammates Menachem Chen, Ward Fawarseh and Omer Katz.
Israel's participation in the Olympics comes amid backlash and boycotts to Israel's presence in international sports, following the war in Gaza and the death of more than 71,800 Palestinians, according to the AP.
The Milan Cortina Olympics kicked off with an opening ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6, at San Siro Stadium.
Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli performed at the event, which also featured appearances from Italian actress and singer Matilda De Angelis, singer-songwriter Laura Pausini, model Vittoria Ceretti and White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore, among many others.
The opening ceremony wrapped up with a surprise speech from Charlize Theron, who appeared in her official capacity as a peace ambassador for the United Nations.
The South African-born actress, 50, delivered a message inspired by Nelson Mandela, beginning her remarks with: "Athletes, spectators from every corner of the world, this is a message of peace by my beloved countryman Nelson Mandela."
"...Let these Games be more than just sport. Let them be a reminder of our common humanity, our respect for one another, and a resounding call for peace everywhere," she added.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
