Andrea Murez

{{Short description|Israeli swimmer (born 1992)}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = Andrea Murez | native_name = אנדראה מוּרֶז | native_name_lang = he | image = Andrea Murez 2.jpg | image_size = 220 | caption = Murez in 2016 | fullname =  | birth_name =  | nicknames = ''Andi'' | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|1|29|df=y}}<ref name="Paris">{{Cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/andrea-murez_1897303 |title=MUREZ Andrea |work=Paris 2024 Olympics}}</ref> | birth_place = Venice, California, U.S.<ref name="Paris"/> | nationality = {{hlist|American|Israeli}} | country = United States (until 2013) Israel (since 2014) | national_team =  | strokes = 50 m freestyle 100 m freestyle 200 m freestyle | club = | height = 1.84 m<ref name=rio2016>{{cite web |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/andrea-murez |title=Andrea Murez |work=Rio 2016 Olympics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806060043/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/andrea-murez |archive-date=6 August 2016}}</ref> | weight = 77 kg<ref name=rio2016 /> | collegeteam = Stanford Cardinal | show-medals = y | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's swimming}} {{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Universiade}} {{MedalGold | 2013 Kazan | 4×200 m freestyle}} {{MedalSilver | 2013 Kazan | 4×100 m freestyle}} {{MedalCompetition |Maccabiah Games}} {{MedalGold|2009 Israel|50 m freestyle}} {{MedalGold|2009 Israel|100 m freestyle}} {{MedalGold|2009 Israel|200 m freestyle}} {{MedalGold|2009 Israel|200 m individual medley}} {{MedalGold|2009 Israel|4 × 100 m freestyle relay}} {{MedalSilver|2009 Israel|100 m backstroke}} {{MedalSilver|2009 Israel|200 m backstroke}} {{MedalSilver|2009 Israel|4 × 100 m medley relay}} {{MedalSilver|2009 Israel|4 × 200 m freestyle relay}} {{MedalGold|2013 Israel|100 m freestyle}} {{MedalCountry | {{ISR}} }} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships (LC)}} {{Medal|G| 2024 Belgrade | 4×100 m mixed medley }} {{MedalSilver| 2024 Belgrade | 4×200 m freestyle }} {{MedalCompetition |Maccabiah Games}} {{MedalGold|2017 Israel|100 m freestyle}} {{MedalGold|2017 Israel|200 m freestyle}} {{MedalGold|2017 Israel|4x100 freestyle}} }}thumb|Murez in 2015

'''Andrea "Andi" Murez''' ({{langx|he|אנדראה "אנדי" מוּרֶז}}; born 29 January 1992) is an Olympic swimmer.<ref name=rio2016 /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sondheimer |first1=Eric |title=Former Venice swimming standout Andi Murez to represent Israel in 2016 Olympic Games |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/varsity-times/la-sp-vi-former-venice-swimming-standout-andi-murez-to-represent-israel-in-2016-olympic-games-20151228-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=10 August 2016 |date=28 December 2015}}</ref> Born in the United States, she represents Israel internationally and competed for her country of birth in the past. She swam for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics. She represented Israel for the third time at the 2024 Paris Olympics where she was one of the flag bearers together with the Olympic judoka Peter Paltchik.

She represented the United States at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia, where she was a 4 × 200 m freestyle gold medalist and a 4 × 100 m freestyle silver medalist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Info System: Schedule |url=https://universiade2013.sportresult.com/NH/en/-120/Root/ |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=universiade2013.sportresult.com}}</ref>

Murez is also a Maccabiah Games champion, and Maccabiah record holder, as well as an Israeli national record holder. She has won 17 medals at the Maccabiah Games, 12 of them gold. Murez holds the Israeli national records in the 100 m and 200 m freestyle.

==Early life and education== Andrea Murez was born on 29 January 1992, to Melanie (Goodman) Murez, who runs a language translation company (Language.net), and Jim Murez, a computer consultant and contractor who runs the Venice Farmers' Market. Her father also swam competitively in high school and in his freshman year of college.<ref>{{Cite web |last=bliccathemes |date=3 August 2016 |title=Daughter of Uni grad headed to Rio 2016! |url=https://www.uhef.org/daughter-of-uni-grad-headed-to-rio-2016/ |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=UHEF |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="venice">{{Cite web |title=» Andrea Murez Swims in Olympics at Rio de Janeiro – Venice Update |url=https://veniceupdate.com/2016/08/06/12782/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820141803/http://veniceupdate.com/2016/08/06/12782/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=20 August 2016 |access-date=13 July 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="ownrecord">{{Cite web |date=3 December 2015 |title=Andi Murez Breaks Her Own National Record in 100 Free Semi |url=https://swimswam.com/andrea-murez-breaks-her-own-national-record-in-100-free-semi/ |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=siblings>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/cover_story/article/murez_siblings_poised_to_share_maccabiah_spotlight_20090708 |title=Murez Siblings Poised to Share Maccabiah Spotlight}}</ref><ref name=riomore>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/olympics/article/swimming_for_israel_in_rio_more_than_just_fun_and_games |title=Swimming for Israel in Rio: More than just fun and games}}</ref><ref name="maccabiusa.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.maccabiusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fall-2015-Newsletter.pdf |title=Andrea Murez: From the Maccabiah to the 2016 Olympics |access-date=10 August 2016 |archive-date=7 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107021003/http://www.maccabiusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fall-2015-Newsletter.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> She is Jewish, and was raised in Los Angeles.<ref name=venice /><ref name=ownrecord /><ref name=siblings />

Her paternal grandfather, Joe Murez, grew up in pre-WWII Austria on the Danube River, swam competitively for the Jewish Hakoah Vienna Sports Club in the 1930s, and related how during Hitler’s annexation of Austria, Nazis would gather around the pool to beat up Jewish swimmers.<ref name=siblings /><ref name=riomore /><ref name="forward.com">{{Cite web |url=http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/346637/from-la-to-israel-one-swimmers-journey-to-the-rio-olympics/ |title=From LA to Israel: One Swimmer's Journey to the Rio Olympics |date=2 August 2016 |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="jewishpress.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/interviews-and-profiles/281774/2016/08/09/ |title=Swimming for Gold, Wearing Blue and White |last=Magazine |first=Tower |date=9 August 2016 |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref> He immigrated to the United States in 1938, serving in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps.<ref name="jewishpress.com"/> He then became one of the largest garlic growers in the world, and ultimately was the one to introduce his granddaughter Andi to swimming.<ref name=siblings /><ref name="jewishpress.com"/><ref name="Stanford">{{Cite web |last=FitzGerald |first=Tom |date=27 February 2013 |title=Stanford swimming's Murez makes own mark |url=https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-swimming-s-Murez-makes-own-mark-4311200.php |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=SFGate}}</ref>

Her father's stepfather, Raymond Federman, who was also Jewish, was 14 years old when his parents hid him in a small stairway landing closet as Gestapo arrived at the family home in Nazi-occupied France.<ref name=Stanford /> His family was taken away, and his parents and two sisters were killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp.<ref name=Stanford /> Federman hid from the Nazis on farms in southern France during the Holocaust.<ref name=Stanford /> He later became a leading backstroker on the French national team, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1947, where he became an English professor, an expert on author Samuel Beckett, and a novelist.<ref name=Stanford />

Murez's brother, Zachary (Zak), who is older than her by three years, set five swim records at Venice High School.<ref name=siblings /> He won 10 medals (four of them gold) in the 2003 Pan-American Maccabi Games in Santiago, Chile, and then swam for the Yale University swim team, before studying for a master's degree in computer science at UC San Diego.<ref name=siblings /><ref name="jewishpress.com"/><ref name=Stanford />

Murez attended Venice High School, in Los Angeles, California, graduating in 2009.<ref name="highlights">{{Cite web |title=Andi Murez | CollegeSwimming |url=https://www.collegeswimming.com/swimmer/32245/ |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=www.collegeswimming.com}}</ref> In high school, she was on the national honor roll.<ref name=siblings /> She also attended Hebrew school at Mishkon Tephilo in Venice, Los Angeles.<ref name=siblings />

She attended Stanford University on a swimming scholarship, majoring in human biology, and intends to eventually pursue a career in biology.<ref name=ownrecord /><ref name=riomore /><ref name="jewishpress.com"/><ref name="venicealum">{{Cite web |date=22 March 2012 |title=Venice High Alum Swims Into American Record Books |url=https://patch.com/california/venice/venice-high-alum-swims-into-american-record-books |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=Venice-Mar Vista, CA Patch |language=en}}</ref>

Murez immigrated to Israel in 2014.<ref name=riomore /> She resides in Netanya, Israel, at the Wingate Institute, with other Israeli swimmers.<ref name=riomore /> She is a graduate of Tel Aviv University Medical School.

==Swimming career==

===High school=== Swimming for the Venice High School Gondoliers, Murez won eight City Section individual championships and set four City records.<ref name=venicealum /><ref name="scjewishsportshof">{{Cite web |title=Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home |url=https://scjewishsportshof.com/hs-murez.html |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=scjewishsportshof.com}}</ref> In the Los Angeles City Finals in May 2008, she set the city’s record for the 100 freestyle.<ref name=siblings /> That year she also qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials.<ref name=siblings /> As a senior in the Spring of 2009, Murez won the 100-yard freestyle in a Los Angeles record time of 49.63.<ref name=scjewishsportshof /> She also broke the 200-yard freestyle record, and holds the section records in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke.<ref name=scjewishsportshof /> She was named the team's Most Valuable Player for four years, was team captain her senior year, was an eight-time CIF sectional champion, and set four CIF sectional records.<ref name=venicealum />

Murez also swam for the Santa Monica Swim Club Team from 1999 to 2009.<ref name=siblings /><ref name=venicealum /> The Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame named her the 2010 Female Jewish High School Athlete of the Year.<ref name=scjewishsportshof />

===College=== She swam for the Stanford Cardinal, and was a three-time NCAA All-American.<ref name="jewishpress.com"/> In March 2012 during her junior year, Murez and three Stanford teammates set the U.S. record for the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:10.77) while winning the 2012 NCAA Swimming Championships.<ref name=venicealum /> They also won the NCAA title in the 200 freestyle relay.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gostanford.com/news/2014/6/8/209518155.aspx |title=Directors' Cup Rewind: 2011–12 | Stanford Athletics |website=www.gostanford.com |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref> In March 2013, at the 2013 Pac-12 Women's Championships, she came in second in the 200 yard freestyle (1:44.42), and third in the 100 yard freestyle (47.86).<ref name=highlights />

Swimming for the United States at the 2013 Summer Universiade in July 2013, she won a gold medal in the Women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay (7:55.53), a silver medal in the Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay (3:38.60), and a bronze medal in the Women's 4 × 100 m medley relay.

===For Israel=== Murez was the first Israeli swimmer to finish the 200 m freestyle in less than two minutes.<ref name="200free">{{Cite web |date=5 December 2015 |title=Another Israeli Record Goes Down as Andrea Murez Swims 200m Free PR |url=https://swimswam.com/another-israeli-record-goes-down-as-andi-murez-swims-200m-free-pr/ |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the summer of 2015, Murez set the Israeli national record in the long course 200 m freestyle, at 1:59.03.<ref name=200free /> She also set the Israeli national record in the long course 100 m freestyle, at 54.40.<ref name=ownrecord />

In December 2015, at the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships at the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel, Murez set a new Israeli record of 1:56.34 in the 200 m, breaking by over two seconds the 4-year-old record that Amit Ivry had set at the 2011 Israeli Winter Championships.<ref name=200free /> She also set a new Israeli record in the 100m freestyle, at 52.88.<ref name=200free />

In May 2016, Murez competed in the 2016 European Aquatics Championships, placing 5th in the 100 m freestyle (54.89; directly behind the world record holder in the 200 m freestyle, Sarah Sjöström of Sweden),<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Aquatics Championships | London 2016 |url=http://london2016.microplustiming.com/Elite/indexLondonElite2016_web.php?s=Q2hlY2tKc29uVG9Mb2FkKCdBU0YnLCAnMDAyJywgJzAwNScsICcwMDEnLCAnJywgJycsICdXb21lbsKgLcKgMTAwIG0gU3RpbGUgTGliZXJvIC0gRmluYWwnLCAnV29tZW7CoC3CoDEwMCBtIEZyZWVzdHlsZSAtIEZpbmFsJywgJ1dvbWVuwqAtwqAxMDAgbSBOYWdlIExpYnJlIC0gRmluYWwnKTs=&cat=&page=&spec=&bat=&td=CAL_BYEV&hg=&descIT=V29tZW7CoC3CoDEwMCBtIFN0aWxlIExpYmVybyAtIEZpbmFs&descEN=V29tZW7CoC3CoDEwMCBtIEZyZWVzdHlsZSAtIEZpbmFs&descFR=V29tZW7CoC3CoDEwMCBtIE5hZ2UgTGlicmUgLSBGaW5hbA==&curCatSel_M_F=&sport=Swimming |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=london2016.microplustiming.com}}</ref> 13th in the 200 m freestyle (1:59.91), and 15th in the 50 m freestyle (25.26).

On 3 July 2024, Murez was designated as Israel's flag bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympics, alongside judoka Peter Paltchik.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aurora-israel.co.il/en/paris-2024-peter-paltchik-and-andi-murez-olympic-flag-bearers-of-israel/ |title=Paris 2024: Peter Paltchik and Andi Murez, Olympic flag bearers for Israel |publisher=Aurora Israel |language=EN |date=3 July 2024 |access-date=18 July 2024}}</ref>

===Maccabiah Games===

At the 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, States Murez won nine medals (five gold and four silver) swimming for the United.<ref name=riomore /><ref name=scjewishsportshof /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Magallanes |first=Raul |title=Venice High Alum Going to 2016 Rio Olympics |url=https://veniceoarsman.com/1421/news/venice-high-alum-going-to-2016-rio-olympics/ |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=The Oarsman}}</ref> She broke all-time Maccabiah Games records while winning gold medals in four individual events: 50 m freestyle (26.44); 100 m freestyle (0:56.44); 200 m freestyle (2:03:45); and 200 m Individual Medley (2:20.74).<ref name=scjewishsportshof /> She set Maccabiah Games records in the 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m freestyle. She earned her 5th gold medal anchoring the USA 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay team, which set an all-time Maccabiah Games record (3:53:55).<ref name=scjewishsportshof /> Her four silver medals were in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, 4 × 100 m Medley Relay, 100 m backstroke, and the 200 m backstroke.<ref name=scjewishsportshof />

She competed again in the 2013 Maccabiah Games, winning five gold medals (including the 100 m free, in 55.09) and two silver medals while setting a number of swimming records swimming for the United States.<ref name="maccabiusa.com"/><ref name="forward.com"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://swimswam.com/american-sweeps-golds-silvers-in-100-frees-on-day-1-of-maccabiah-games/ |title=Americans Sweep Golds, Silvers in 100 Frees on Day 1 of Maccabiah Games |date=22 July 2013 |language=en-US |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref> She received the 2013 Maccabiah Games Most Outstanding Athlete Award for Women.<ref name="maccabiusa.com"/> In total, as of 2013 she had won 15 Maccabiah Games medals, including 10 gold medals.<ref name="forward.com"/>

At the 2017 Maccabiah Games, competing as an Israeli, Murez won the women’s 100m freestyle, with a time of 55.15 seconds, and set a new Games record as she also won the 200m freestyle in 1:59.80.<ref name=autogeneratedmu>[https://swimswam.com/murez-picks-2nd-gold-maccabiah-games-159-200-free/ "Murez Picks Up 2nd Gold Of Maccabiah Games With 1:59 200 Free,"] ''SwimSwam Magazine''.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Record-breaking day in the pool led by Aussie Levy setting world mark |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/record-breaking-day-in-the-pool-led-by-aussie-levy-setting-world-mark-499334 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com |date=11 July 2017}}</ref>

===Olympics=== Murez was the first Israeli woman to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, her first Olympic Games. On 17 April 2015, she qualified for the 50-meter freestyle event with a time of 25.12 seconds.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 April 2015 |title=שחייה: גם אנדי מורז תהיה באולימפיאדת ריו |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4648350,00.html |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=ynet |language=he |last1=אהרוני |first1=אורן}}</ref> Four months later, on 13 August, she qualified for the 100-meter event.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 August 2015 |title=שחייה: מורז השיגה קריטריון נוסף לריו |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4690636,00.html |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=ynet |language=he |last1=אהרוני |first1=אורן}}</ref>

She swam for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics.<ref name=riomore /> Ill with sinusitis, she withdrew from the 100 m backstroke and 200 m freestyle heats, as she tried to recover in time for the 50 m and 100 m freestyle heats.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/tourmarkin-fails-to-reach-swimming-semi-finals/ |title=Tourmarkin fails to reach swimming semi-finals |date=7 August 2016 |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref> In the Women's 100 m freestyle heat she came in 30th with a time of 55.47.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/olympics-swimming-women-results-idUSISS793079 |title=Olympics-Swimming-Women's 100m freestyle heats results |date=10 August 2016 |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref>

==Honors==

In 2016, Murez was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://scjewishsportshof.com/murez.html |title=Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home |website=scjewishsportshof.com}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{World Aquatics}} * {{Swimrankings}} * {{International Swimming League}} * {{Olympics.com profile}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{OCI profile|id=אנדראה-מורז|name=אנדראה מורז}} * {{Instagram}}

{{s-start}} {{s-sports|oly}} {{succession box | before = Yakov Toumarkin Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko | title = Flagbearer for {{ISR}} | with = Peter Paltchik | years = París 2024 | after = '''''Incumbent''''' }} {{s-end}}

{{London Roar roster}} {{Footer European Champions 4x200m Freestyle Women|2024}} {{Footer European Champions 4×100m Medley Relay Mixed|2024}} {{Footer Universiade Champions 4x200m Freestyle Women}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murez, Andrea}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Israeli female swimmers Category:Israeli Ashkenazi Jews Category:American people of Austrian-Jewish descent Category:Israeli people of Austrian-Jewish descent Category:American people of French-Jewish descent Category:Israeli people of French-Jewish descent Category:Jews from California Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Israel Category:Jewish swimmers Category:American Ashkenazi Jews Category:American emigrants to Israel Category:Olympic swimmers for Israel Category:Maccabiah Games medalists in swimming Category:Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the United States Category:Maccabiah Games gold medalists for Israel Category:Maccabiah Games silver medalists for the United States Category:Competitors at the 2009 Maccabiah Games Category:Competitors at the 2013 Maccabiah Games Category:Competitors at the 2017 Maccabiah Games Category:Sportspeople from Netanya Category:Stanford Cardinal women's swimmers Category:Summer World University Games medalists in swimming Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States Category:FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States Category:Medalists at the 2013 Summer Universiade Category:Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Venice High School (Los Angeles) alumni Category:21st-century American Jews Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:21st-century Israeli sportswomen