Cat for a coup? Noa Szollos scores the first World Cup points for Israel - and wins a curious bet

Noa Szollos scores the first points for Israel in the Kranjska Gora slalom. Afterwards, the 22-year-old talks about a curious bet with her parents.

DPA

04.01.2026, 16:49

dpa

Is there an animal reward for this coup? Ski racer Noa Szollos has scored the first ever Alpine World Cup points for Israel in the Kranjska Gora slalom. She was "incredibly proud", said the 22-year-old - and then reported on a curious bet.

She agreed with her parents several years ago that she would get a cat if she collected her first World Cup points. "My dad doesn't really like cats, but I love them," Szollos told ZDF.

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Into the final with bib number 70

With bib number 70, she finished 28th in the race won by Swiss world champion Camille Rast. Her brothers Benjamin and Barnabas Szollos also ski professionally, Barnabas was 34th in the Super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo 2023 and came close to the first World Cup points for Israel.

The fact that she is now the first is "very, very special", said Noa Szollos after her historic performance at the event in Slovenia.