Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or

Shapira hometown is Moshav Avigdor, South Israel.{{cite journal|title=Israeli Sports|journal=Jewish Sports Review|date=September–October 2011 |volume=8|issue=87|page=21}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/page.aspx?id=181152 |title=Jews in the Olympics: 63 Athletes, 7 Countries |publisher=Jewishinstlouis.org |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407023958/http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/page.aspx?id=181152 |archive-date=April 7, 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/shapirabaror_nimrod00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008004418/http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/shapirabaror_nimrod00.html | archive-date=October 8, 2011 |title=Nimrod Shapira |publisher=Arizonawildcats.com |access-date=January 2, 2016}} Although he played basketball for a top Israeli junior team, a knee injury that he suffered at 11 years of age led him to shift his focus to swimming.{{cite news|author=David Johnson |url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122106/hig_6948051.shtml |title=All-First Coast Swimming Teams: Shapira switches from free throws to freestyle |work=The Florida Times Union |date=December 21, 2006 |access-date=November 19, 2011}}

Aged 7, Shapira almost drowned in a pool during a birthday party and was saved by his uncle. This incident led his parents to get him and his sister into swimming lessons at their local pool.

Aged 11, Shapira got back in the pool for a swim practice and his passion to swimming began.

In July 2007, he won a silver medal at the European Junior Swimming Championships in the 200 m freestyle (1.50.36), in Antwerp, Belgium.{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/sports-shorts-1.226030 |title=Sports Shorts |work =Haaretz |date=July 23, 2007|access-date=November 19, 2011}} He also won a bronze medal in the 400 m freestyle (3:54.83).{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15228.asp |title=Lizzie Simmonds Tears Up Final Day of European Junior Championships |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=July 23, 2007 |author=Oene Rusticus |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912051118/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15228.asp |archive-date=September 12, 2012 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15180.asp |title=Records for Yuliya Efimova and Daniel Gyurta During First Day of European Junior Championships |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=July 18, 2007 |author=Oene Rusticus |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725105748/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15180.asp |archive-date=July 25, 2008 }}

In November 2006, Shapira attended The Bolles School and he won the 200 yard freestyle (1:38.37) at the Florida State 1A Championships, and was runner-up in the 500 yard freestyle.{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/12513.asp |title=National Independent School Record Falls at Florida Meets |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=November 9, 2006 |author=Jason Marsteller |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627222247/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/12513.asp |archive-date=June 27, 2013 }}{{cite news|url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/091807/hig_200402116.shtml |title=High school swimming and diving watch|author=Francine King |work=The Florida Times Union |date=September 18, 2007 |access-date=November 19, 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061224/NEWS/612240588/1006/SPORTS |title=In for the long haul |work=Herald Tribune |date=December 24, 2006 |access-date=November 19, 2011}} He was named Times-Union 2006 Florida All-First Coast Swimmer of the Year.

Shapira is the only one in Israeli history to win all freestyle events within the same competition. In August 2007, he won a gold medal in the 400 m freestyle (3:55.23), and established the Israeli 18-and-under national record in the 200 m freestyle (1:50.06) at the Israeli Summer National Championships.{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15416.asp |title=Two More National Records Wiped Out at Israeli Summer Nationals |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=August 9, 2007 |author=Buky Chass |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126093906/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15416.asp |archive-date=January 26, 2012 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15398.asp |title=Israeli Summer Nationals Get Going With Women's 100 Breast National Record by Nastia Korotkov |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=August 7, 2007 |author=Buky Chass |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126093936/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15398.asp |archive-date=January 26, 2012 }}

In March 2008, he swam on the team that set a new Israeli record in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, at 7:20.87, at the 2008 European Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands.{{cite web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2008/eindhoven2008/C74B_ResSummaryRelay_36_Heats_Men_4x200_Free.pdf |title=Summary Relay |publisher=omegatiming.com |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120011149/http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2008/eindhoven2008/C74B_ResSummaryRelay_36_Heats_Men_4x200_Free.pdf |archive-date=January 20, 2012 }} In July 2008, he set a new Israeli record in the 200 meter freestyle, at 1:48.76 at the Croatian Open Championships in Dubrovnik, Croatia.{{cite news|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18535.asp |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913065529/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18535.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |title=Croatian Open Championships: Several More National Records Tumble |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=July 14, 2008 |access-date=November 18, 2011 }} He broke his own national record in the 200 meter freestyle the next month at the Olympics.{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3580324,00.html |title=Beijing: Swimmer Nimrod Shapira-Bar Or sets new Israeli record|publisher=Ynetnews.com |access-date=November 18, 2011}}

In July 2009, he set a new Israeli record in the 100 meter freestyle, at 48.93, at the World Championships in Rome, Italy.{{cite news|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3753860,00.html|script-title=he:לגל נבו בדרך לחצי הגמר ברומא – ספורט |language=he |newspaper=Ynet |date=July 29, 2009 |access-date=November 18, 2011}} Also at the 2009 World Championships, he swam on the team that set a new Israeli record in the 4×100 meter medley relay, at 3:36.23.{{cite web|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2009/Roma2009/C74B_ResSummaryRelay_40_Heats_Men_4x100_Medley.pdf|title=Men's 4x 100m Medley Relay; 13th FINA World Championships; July 17 – August 2, 2009; Rome (ITA)|publisher=omegatiming.com|access-date=November 18, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806182859/http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2009/Roma2009/C74B_ResSummaryRelay_40_Heats_Men_4x100_Medley.pdf|archive-date=August 6, 2009}}

In August 2009, he won gold medals in the 50 m (22.75; surpassing the 14-year-old former record of 22.79), 100 m (49.49), 200 m (1:49.36), and 400 m freestyle races at the Israeli Summer National Championships at Wingate Institute in Netanya.{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22013.asp |title=Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or, Yulia Banech Named Outstanding Swimmers at Israeli Summer Nationals; Shapira Bar-Or Breaks Longest Standing Israeli Record |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=August 8, 2009 |author=Buky Chass |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027093810/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22013.asp |archive-date=October 27, 2012 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22005.asp |title=Yulia Banech Downs Another Israeli Record |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=August 7, 2009 |author=Buky Chass |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102110056/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22005.asp |archive-date=January 2, 2011 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21994.asp |title=Yulia Banech Lowers Israeli Record at Summer Nationals |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=August 6, 2009 |author=Buky Chass |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216140350/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21994.asp |archive-date=December 16, 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/sports-shorts-1.281650 |title=Sports Shorts |work =Haaretz |date=August 9, 2009 |access-date=November 19, 2011}} In July 2010, he won gold medals in the 50 m, 100 m (49.89), 200 m, and 400 m freestyle races at the Israeli Long Course National Championships.{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24641.asp |title=Israel Long Course Nationals: Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or Wins Four, Amit Ivry Tops Three |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=July 27, 2010 |author=Buky Chass |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918041214/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24641.asp |archive-date=September 18, 2012 }}

After high school, Nimrod Shapira attended the University of Arizona, where he majored in Business Management. In 2009, he was a silver medalist at the NCAA Championships at College Station, Texas as part of the Arizona Wildcats 800 free relay team (6:11.82), and in 2010, he was a bronze medalist in the same event in Columbus, Ohio.{{Cite web | url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ariz/sports/m-swim/auto_pdf/updated2011records.pdf | title=Men's swimming & diving all-time top performers | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110411/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ariz/sports/m-swim/auto_pdf/updated2011records.pdf | archive-date=2016-03-04 }} He was honored as a member of the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team. He was named the Counsilman-Hunsaker National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week on November 17, 2010, and again honored in 2011 as a member of the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team.{{cite news|url=http://www.collegeswimming.com/news/2010/nov/17/shapira-bar-or-garners-national-swimmer-award/ |title=Shapira Bar-Or Garners National Swimmer Award |publisher=Collegeswimming.com |date=November 17, 2010 |access-date=November 18, 2011}} His fastest times in college competitions, through March 2011, were 19.92 in the 50 yard freestyle (2010), 42.37 in the 100 y freestyle (2011), 46.44 in the 100 y fly (2010), 1:33.50 in the 200 y freestyle (2010), 1:43.71 in the 200 y fly (2010), and 1:44.85 in the 200 y IM (2011).{{cite web |url=http://www.collegeswimming.com/swimmer/7392/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207202124/http://collegeswimming.com/swimmer/7392/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 7, 2009 |title=Nimrod Shapira bar-or Overview |publisher=Collegeswimming.com |access-date=November 18, 2011 }}

Shapira is a two-time Olympian. He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ISR/summer/2008/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417044337/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ISR/summer/2008/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |title=Israel at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games |publisher=Sports-reference.com |access-date=November 14, 2011}} In the 100 meter freestyle he swam a 49.10 (a national record) and came in 26th, and in the 200 meter freestyle he swam a 1:47.78 (also a national record) in the first heat, and a 1:48.16 in the semi-finals, coming in 15th.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sh/nimrod-shapira-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418110421/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sh/nimrod-shapira-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=Nimrod Shapira Biography and Olympic Results |publisher=Sports-reference.com |access-date=November 18, 2011}} He was the first Israeli swimmer to compete in an Olympic semi-finals.

He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics, in London in the 200 m freestyle, finishing in 21st place.{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/sports/israel-swimmer-gal-nevo-qualifies-for-2012-london-summer-olympics-1.375538 |title=Israel swimmer Gal Nevo qualifies for 2012 London Summer Olympics; Nevo becomes second Israeli to qualify for 2012 Olympics, joining Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or. |work=Haaretz |date=July 27, 2011 |access-date=November 18, 2011}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/nimrod-shapira-bar-or-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417225949/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/nimrod-shapira-bar-or-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-17|title=Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or Bio, Stats, and Results|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-10}}

He won a silver medal in the 100 m freestyle (49.02; behind Jason Lezak, and a new Israeli record) at the July 2009 Maccabiah Games.{{cite news |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21734.asp |title=USA Sectionals, Maccabiah Games, World Championships Results on The Morning Swim Show News Segment |work=Swimming World Magazine |date=July 20, 2009 |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420002525/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21734.asp |archive-date=April 20, 2011 }}{{cite web|last=Talshir |first=Uri |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/lezak-barnea-easily-demolish-swimming-records-1.280318 |title=Lezak, Barnea easily demolish swimming records |work= Haaretz |date=November 4, 2011 |access-date=November 19, 2011}}

Shapira was born to a family of business owners and saw all the ups and downs that came with owning your own business. At age 7, he began to raise and sell rabbits from his family farm in South Israel. Upon graduating The University of Arizona in 2013, he got into the business side of the swimming world and started a swim club and swim school. After starting AquaSwimClub with only $480 and turning it into a successful 7-location business, Shapira began to focus more on the swim school side of the industry. Today, AQUAfin Swim School is the number one swim school in Northeast Florida, with 3 locations in and around Jacksonville, FL and still growing. Shapira has recently begun his journey as a franchisor with AQUAfin Swim School's first franchise location opening in August 2022 in Orange City, FL. He is also a real estate investor with $6m+ of personal holdings.

• List of Israeli records in swimming

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{commons category|Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or}}

• {{World Aquatics}}
• {{Swimrankings}}
• {{Olympics.com profile}}
• {{Olympedia}}
• {{OCI profile}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111008004418/http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/shapirabaror_nimrod00.html Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or] on ArizonaWildcats.com
• [http://www.swimmingtimes.com/db/swimmerbest.php?sw=142367 Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or] at SwimmingTimes.com
• [http://bollesswimming.blogspot.com/ "2008 Olympic Games-Bolles Swimmers in Beijing and US Trials"], by Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or, bollesswimming, September 29, 2008

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapira Bar-Or, Nimrod}}

Category:1989 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Jerusalem

Category:Israeli male freestyle swimmers

Category:Olympic swimmers for Israel

Category:Israeli expatriates in the United States

Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Maccabiah Games medalists in swimming

Category:Maccabiah Games silver medalists for Israel

Category:Competitors at the 2009 Maccabiah Games

Category:Jewish Israeli sportspeople

Category:Jewish swimmers

Category:Arizona Wildcats men's swimmers

Category:Israeli expatriate swimmers in the United States

Category:Israeli people of Romanian-Jewish descent

Category:21st-century Israeli sportsmen