Andrea Murez

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. She is Jewish, and was raised in Los Angeles. He immigrated to the United States in 1938, serving in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps.

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. In high school, she was on the national honor roll.

Murez immigrated to Israel in 2014. In the Los Angeles City Finals in May 2008, she set the city’s record for the 100 freestyle. 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).

In the summer of 2015, Murez set the Israeli national record in the long course 200 m freestyle, at 1:59.03. 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.

Maccabiah Games

At the 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, States Murez won nine medals (five gold and four silver) swimming for the United. 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). She received the 2013 Maccabiah Games Most Outstanding Athlete Award for Women.

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. Four months later, on 13 August, she qualified for the 100-meter event.

She swam for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In the Women's 100 m freestyle heat she came in 30th with a time of 55.47.

Honors

In 2016, Murez was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.