First day of London Games sees Israeli success as 25-year-old claims bronze in the 50-meter freestyle S5 class final.
By ALLON SINAIInbal Pezaro 370(photo credit: Razi Livnat)
Israel claimed its first medal of the Paralympic Games in the opening day of competition on Thursday, with swimmer Inbal Pezaro winning a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle S5 class final.The 25-year-old Pezaro entered the Games with five Paralympic medals to her name, winning a bronze and a silver in Athens 2004 and three silvers in Beijing four years ago.She qualified for Thursday’s final from fifth place overall, but scaled the podium with a time of 37.89 seconds to take her sixth Paralympic medal.“I’m happy to have given Israel a lucky start to the Games,” said Pezaro.Pezaro will compete in three more events in London and will be confident of claiming multiple medals once more after taking three medals at the 2010 World Championships, including a gold in the 100-meter freestyle in the S5 disability class.Israel has sent 25 athletes to London, 18 men and seven women, and will be hoping to at least equal its medal tally from Beijing four years ago when it amassed six medals in total, five silver and one bronze.
