1. Gideon Ariel is an Israeli authority in biomechanics, as well as a former Olympic track and field athlete who competed in the discus throw.
16 Facts About Gideon Ariel
1. 2.
Gideon Ariel's father, the son of a rabbi, was born in Poland in 1904, and made aliyah in 1922, and ultimately became a hotel manager and then head of customs at the Jaffa port, as well as a member of the Stern Gang.
3.
Gideon Ariel's parents divorced when he was ten years old.
4.
Gideon Ariel served three years in the Israel Defense Forces.
5.
Gideon Ariel studied at the Wingate Institute in Israel, and later attended the University of Wyoming on an athletic scholarship, beginning in 1963 and graduating in 1966.
6.
Gideon Ariel completed his graduate and post-doctoral work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he received a Ph.
7.
Gideon Ariel lived in Amherst, Massachusetts and Coto de Caza, California.
8.
Gideon Ariel has three more daughters: Tova, Nomi, and Ilana Ariel.
9.
Gideon Ariel competed for Israel at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, at the age of 21, in the Men's Shot Put, and came in 22nd with a distance of 14.65 meters.
10.
Gideon Ariel was the flag bearer for Israel at the 1960 Olympics.
11.
Gideon Ariel competed for Israel at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, at the age of 25, in the Men's Discus Throw, and came in 26th with a distance of 46.12 meters.
12.
Gideon Ariel was again the flag bearer for Israel at the 1964 Olympics.
13.
Gideon Ariel performed research in the use of anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially as "steroids", which are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body.
14.
Gideon Ariel founded the Olympic Training Center in Squaw Valley and Colorado Springs and became chairman of the US Olympic Biomechanical Committee.
15.
Gideon Ariel has authored two books detailing the events of his life and career.
16.
In 2012, Gideon Ariel was awarded the Geoffrey Dyson Award at the ISBS 2012 Conference.