{{Short description|Isreali-American skeleton racer (born 1990)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Jared Firestone | image = 2025 IBSF WCh - skeleton - men (15 of 41).jpg | caption = Firestone at the IBSF World Championships 2025 | native_name = ירד יוסף פיירסטון | native_name_lang = he | full_name = Jared Alec Firestone | nickname = The Jewish Jet | national_team = Israel national skeleton team | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|03|30|mf=y}} | birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S. | education = Tulane University<br>Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law | years_active = 2019–present | height = 1.72 m | weight = 81 kg | website = {{URL|https://jewishjet.com/}} | country = Israel | sport = {{hlist|Skeleton|bobsled}} | coach = Self-coached | medaltemplates = }}
'''Jared Alec Firestone''' (Hebrew: ג’ארד יוסף פיירסטון; born March 30, 1990) is an American-born Israeli skeleton racer and a lawyer based in Florida.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=@stewartain |date=February 13, 2021 |title=Cool runnings: This Florida bobsledder is Israel's next big hope for Olympic Winter Gold |url=https://forward.com/news/464062/cool-runnings-this-florida-bobsledder-is-israels-next-big-hope-for-olympic/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jared A. Firestone |url=https://www.floridabar.org/about/section/profile/?num=125675 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=The Florida Bar |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 21, 2024 |title=Israel's bobsled team pushing for Olympic glory amid Gaza war |url=https://nypost.com/2024/02/21/sports/israels-bobsled-team-pushing-for-olympic-glory-amid-gaza-war/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=NY Post |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jared Firestone |url=https://www.bobsleighskeletonisrael.com/jared-firestone |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217164659/https://www.bobsleighskeletonisrael.com/jared-firestone |archive-date=February 17, 2022 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=Bobsleigh Skeleton Israel |language=en}}</ref>
He represents Israel's national bobsleigh team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2025 |title=Israeli bobsled teams prepare for World Championship, Winter Olympics |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-844936 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> Firestone qualified to represent Israel in skeleton at the 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
In 2022, Firestone became the first Israeli to win gold in a skeleton race, and in March 2025 became the first Israeli finalist at the IBSF World Championships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IBSF {{!}} International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation: Result |url=https://www.ibsf.org/en/result/504305/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=www.ibsf.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2022 |title=Skeleton athletes celebrate personal bests at IBSF North American Cup in Lake Placid |url=https://www.ibsf.org/en/news/detail/skeleton-athletes-celebrate-personal-bests-at-ibsf-north-american-cup-in-lake-placid |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=www.ibsf.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> He has eight podium finishes in IBSF competitions.<ref name=":1" />
== Biography == Firestone was born and raised in South Florida. He attended Scheck Hillel Community School.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2, 2019 |title=Jared Firestone, Alumnus |url=https://www.ehillel.org/news-detail?pk=1026178 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=Scheck Hillel Community School |language=en}}</ref> Firestone competed in track and field at Tulane University before earning a J.D. degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ash |first=Jim |title=Going downhill fast! |url=https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/good-sledding/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=The Florida Bar |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jared Firestone - Track & Field |url=https://tulanegreenwave.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/jared-firestone/3195 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=Tulane University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, Firestone and Adam Edelman co-founded a non-profit organization, Advancing Jewish Athletics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eisenstein |first=Susan R. |date=April 18, 2024 |title=Olympian AJ Edelman and Jared Firestone Look to Grow 'Advancing Jewish Athletics' to Help Jewish Athletes |url=https://jewishlink.news/olympians-aj-edelman-and-jared-firestone-look-to-grow-advancing-jewish-athletics-to-help-jewish-athletes/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=The Jewish Link |language=en}}</ref> Firestone is nicknamed "The Jewish Jet".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fort Lauderdale Native Eyes 2022 Olympics |url=https://www.nbcmiami.com/video/on-air/as-seen-on/fort-lauderdale-native-eyes-2022-olympics_miami/123669/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=NBC 6 South Florida |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Sports career ==
=== Sliding sports ===
==== Skeleton ==== Firestone was introduced to skeleton in 2014, during his recovery from a transient ischemic attack suffered while in law school.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Stroke changes life for Winter Olympic hopeful |url=https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2019/9/wellness-profile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241012094237/https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2019/9/wellness-profile |archive-date=October 12, 2024 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref>
He debuted for Israel in 2019. Firestone's first World Cup season was 2019–20, during which he entered two events and placed 41st overall.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2022 |title=IBSF {{!}} International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation: Athlete |url=https://www.ibsf.org/en/athlete/10588/firestone-jared?tx_fmathletes_detail%5Bpage%5D=1&tx_fmathletes_detail%5Bseason_id%5D=1000000&cHash=b6dc48b8139c1a4eb7ed49b29bc84447 |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=www.ibsf.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> He did not compete in the 2020–21 World Cup but returned for event in 2021–22, finishing 43rd overall.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2022 |title=IBSF {{!}} International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation: Athlete |url=https://www.ibsf.org/en/athlete/10900/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=www.ibsf.org |language=en-GB}}</ref>
In his early seasons, Firestone competed on the North American Cup circuit. By his third competitive season, he came within three places of qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing the year ranked 44th in the world by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rakovsky |first=Ido |title=An American lawyer wants to represent Israel in the Winter Olympics |url=https://www.haaretz.com./israel-news/sports/2023-01-30/ty-article/.premium/an-american-lawyer-wants-to-represent-israel-in-the-winter-olympics/00000186-0401-dc4a-a3be-ef3b531a0000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802183326/https://www.haaretz.com./israel-news/sports/2023-01-30/ty-article/.premium/an-american-lawyer-wants-to-represent-israel-in-the-winter-olympics/00000186-0401-dc4a-a3be-ef3b531a0000 |archive-date=August 2, 2023 |access-date=September 30, 2025 |work=Haaretz.com |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Spiro |first=Amy |date=January 25, 2022 |title=Israel’s 2022 Olympic bobsled dreams are crushed. But AJ Edelman is not giving up |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-2022-olympic-bobsled-dreams-are-crushed-but-aj-edelman-is-not-giving-up/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How One Olympic Hopeful Prepares for the Ice in Sunny South Florida |url=https://www.stayfit305.com/news/how-one-olympic-hopeful-prepares-for-the-ice-in-sunny-south-florida |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=www.stayfit305.com}}</ref>
In the 2022–2023 season, Firestone won Israel's first-ever gold medal in a sliding sport at an Olympic-discipline event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 5, 2021 |title=Hollywood athlete is first Israeli to medal in skeleton sport |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2021/02/05/hollywood-athlete-is-first-israeli-to-medal-in-skeleton-sport/ |access-date=September 30, 2025 |website=Sun Sentinel |language=en-US}}</ref>
During the 2024–2025 season, Firestone qualified Israel's first sled in a World Championship since 2019. He advanced to the finals, becoming the first Israeli athlete to reach that stage of a major sliding competition.<ref>{{cite web |title=Final results |url=https://www.ibsf.org/de/ergebnis?document=074a7e2a-6393-4608-a2a5-c17c9eafd617&eID=GetDocument&fileName=Result_504305.pdf |access-date=8 March 2025 |publisher=ibsf.org}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IBSF}} * [https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/42921 Jared Firestone] at Milano Cortina 2026 * {{Olympics.com|jared-firestone}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Instagram}}<!-- per WP:ELMINOFFICIAL, choose one official website only -->
Category:1990 births Category:Israeli male bobsledders Category:Israeli male skeleton racers Category:Israeli people of American-Jewish descent Category:Jewish American sportspeople Category:Jewish Israeli sportspeople Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Florida Category:Skeleton racers at the 2026 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic skeleton racers for Israel Category:21st-century American Jews Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century Israeli sportsmen Category:Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law alumni Category:Tulane Green Wave men's track and field athletes