Jared Firestone

Jared Firestone
Firestone at the IBSF World Championships 2025
Personal information
Native name
ירד יוסף פיירסטון
Full nameJared Alec Firestone
Nickname
The Jewish Jet
National teamIsrael national skeleton team
Born (1990-03-30) March 30, 1990
Miami, Florida, U.S.
EducationTulane University
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Years active2019–present
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight81 kg (179 lb)
Websitejewishjet.com
Sport
CountryIsrael
Sport
Coached bySelf-coached

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.[1][2][3][4]

He represents Israel's national bobsleigh team.[5] 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.[6][7] He has eight podium finishes in IBSF competitions.[8]

Biography

Firestone was born and raised in South Florida. He attended Scheck Hillel Community School.[9] Firestone competed in track and field at Tulane University before earning a J.D. degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.[10][11] In 2021, Firestone and Adam Edelman co-founded a non-profit organization, Advancing Jewish Athletics.[12] Firestone is nicknamed "The Jewish Jet".[13]

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.[14]

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.[8] He did not compete in the 2020–21 World Cup but returned for event in 2021–22, finishing 43rd overall.[1][15]

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).[16][17][18]

In the 2022–2023 season, Firestone won Israel's first-ever gold medal in a sliding sport at an Olympic-discipline event.[19]

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.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b @stewartain (February 13, 2021). "Cool runnings: This Florida bobsledder is Israel's next big hope for Olympic Winter Gold". The Forward. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  2. ^ "Jared A. Firestone". The Florida Bar. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  3. ^ "Israel's bobsled team pushing for Olympic glory amid Gaza war". NY Post. February 21, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  4. ^ "Jared Firestone". Bobsleigh Skeleton Israel. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "Israeli bobsled teams prepare for World Championship, Winter Olympics". The Jerusalem Post. March 9, 2025. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  6. ^ "IBSF | International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation: Result". www.ibsf.org. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  7. ^ "Skeleton athletes celebrate personal bests at IBSF North American Cup in Lake Placid". www.ibsf.org. December 4, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "IBSF | International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation: Athlete". www.ibsf.org. December 4, 2022. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  9. ^ "Jared Firestone, Alumnus". Scheck Hillel Community School. June 2, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  10. ^ Ash, Jim. "Going downhill fast!". The Florida Bar. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  11. ^ "Jared Firestone - Track & Field". Tulane University Athletics. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  12. ^ Eisenstein, Susan R. (April 18, 2024). "Olympian AJ Edelman and Jared Firestone Look to Grow 'Advancing Jewish Athletics' to Help Jewish Athletes". The Jewish Link. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  13. ^ "Fort Lauderdale Native Eyes 2022 Olympics". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  14. ^ "Stroke changes life for Winter Olympic hopeful". Archived from the original on October 12, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  15. ^ "IBSF | International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation: Athlete". www.ibsf.org. December 4, 2022. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  16. ^ Rakovsky, Ido. "An American lawyer wants to represent Israel in the Winter Olympics". Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  17. ^ Spiro, Amy (January 25, 2022). "Israel's 2022 Olympic bobsled dreams are crushed. But AJ Edelman is not giving up". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  18. ^ "How One Olympic Hopeful Prepares for the Ice in Sunny South Florida". www.stayfit305.com. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  19. ^ "Hollywood athlete is first Israeli to medal in skeleton sport". Sun Sentinel. February 5, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  20. ^ "Final results" (PDF). ibsf.org. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
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