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First Jewish Olympic Medalist in Beach Volleyball

Record holder

Adriana BeharPerson

Record value

Silver — Women's Beach Volleyball, Sydney 2000

Country represented: BrazilAchievement date: 25 September 2000Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Adriana Behar at a public event in 2005.

Adriana Behar, two-time Olympic silver medalist in beach volleyball.Augusto Carazza / ALERJ / Wikimedia CommonsSource

Official record definition

The earliest Jewish athlete to win an Olympic medal in beach volleyball, across men's and women's Olympic tournaments.

Measurement methodology

Chronological review from beach volleyball's Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996 through Sydney 2000, cross-checked against the Jewish Olympic medalist chronology.

Record story

Adriana Behar became the first Jewish Olympic medalist in beach volleyball at the Sydney 2000 Games. Representing Brazil with her partner Shelda Bede, Behar secured the silver medal in the women's tournament. The final match was held in Sydney, Australia, on 25 September 2000, officially confirming their result.

The achievement's place in history is notable as beach volleyball had only made its Olympic debut four years earlier at the Atlanta 1996 Games. According to a chronological review of the sport's Olympic history cross-checked against the Jewish Olympic medalist chronology from sources like the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Behar is the earliest Jewish athlete to win a medal in the discipline. Her recorded achievement is "Silver — Women's Beach Volleyball, Sydney 2000".

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
26 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

Olympedia records Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede as silver medalists in the women's beach-volleyball tournament at Sydney 2000, with the final on 25 September 2000.

Superiority evidence

Adriana Behar is the first beach-volleyball medalist appearing in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Olympic chronology; her Sydney 2000 silver followed the sport's 1996 Olympic debut.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Adriana Behar — International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Beach Volleyball, Women — Sydney 2000 — Olympedia

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Jewish Olympic Medalists — International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • Beach Volleyball, Women — Sydney 2000

    Reference databaseOlympedia

    What this proves: Silver medal and final date, 25 September 2000.

  • Adriana Behar

    Primary sourceInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

    What this proves: Jewish-sports eligibility and Olympic silver medals.

  • Jewish Olympic Medalists

    Primary sourceInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

    What this proves: First Jewish beach-volleyball medal entry appears in 2000.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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