Bloch's straightforward road to Rio makes her the first Israeli road cyclist to participate in the Olympics since 1960.
By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFFUpdated: JULY 31, 2016 11:28Shani Bloch(photo credit: Courtesy)
Date of Birth: March 6, 1979 (age 37)Event: Women’s Road CyclingSchedule in Rio: Race – August 7Career highlights: Becoming the first Israeli woman to take part in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World ChampionshipsOutlook for Rio: Bloch booked her spot in the 2016 Games by being ranked at No. 88 in the world in the UCI rankings. She will be the first Israeli road cyclist to participate in the Olympics since 1960 and her road to Rio was anything but straightforward. Bloch retired 12 years ago to start a family, giving birth to three daughters. She returned to competition after a decade in retirement and thanks to the help of her Israel teammates climbed into the top 100 in the rankings and qualified for Rio.