Israel wins gold, silver at windsurfing European Championship
The competition served as a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFWindsurfing 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israeli athletes scored gold and silver at the RS:X European Championships in windsurfing, following the conclusion of Saturday's events, according to the Olympic news site Inside the Games.Israeli windsurfer Yoav Cohen, 21, took home the gold, keeping his lead and topping the overall standing with 45 points. The silver medal in the men's race was won by fellow Israeli windsurfer Shahar Zubari, who accumulated 51 points."I'm speechless, this is a dream come true. I can't find the words," Cohen said after winning, reaching his greatest professional achievement to date, Walla reported. Cohen's trainer, Gur Steinberg, added that "the team has proven itself. This year should be our grand finale." However, Israel was unable to take home the top prize for the women's races, with Israeli windsurfer Katy Spychakov finishing with 39 points and the silver medal, coming behind Olympic champion Charline Picon, who won gold for France with just 25 points, according to Inside the Games."It was a rough competition," Spychakov said, adding that "I'm glad that I managed to take home a medal and the ticket to Tokyo."The competition served as a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympic Games and was originally slated to take place in March. However, the coronavirus pandemic forced the qualifiers to be delayed by several months.Windsurfing remains the only sport in the Olympics where Israel has taken home the gold, when Gal Fridman did so in the 2004 games in Athens.
