At the age of 19, the Jewish American swimmer, Anthony Ervin, won the gold medal for the 50-meter freestyle at the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000. After this, he retired from the sport; he became addicted to drugs and alcohol, sunk into depression and attempted suicide. Several years later, he made a comeback and 16 years after his first gold medal, Ervin again won the gold in the same race. This was an accomplishment never before achieved by any swimmer. Ervin participated in the 20th Maccabiah in 2017 and was invited to light the Maccabiah torch in the opening ceremony. He won four gold medals and one silver at the Games.