Continuing a proud tradition of success, Israeli athletes won three gold medals and broke two world records in the World Championship Swimming Competition for the Handicapped this week. Yitzchak Mamistalov broke the world record for 50-meter freestyle, while superstar Keren Leibovitch broke the world record for 100-meter women?s freestyle and also took the gold medal for her performance in the 100-meter backstroke swim. A total of seven Israelis made it into the finals in the competition, which is taking place in Argentina. The results in the Argentina competition will determine the number of competitors from Israel will be allowed to participate in the Paralympics in 2004 in Athens.
Keren Leibovitch, who moves about on land with crutches or in a wheelchair, is familiar to Israelis for her having won three gold medals in the 2001 Paralympics. Leibovitch?s times are generally mere seconds slower than fully-able bodied swimmers. She, and other Israeli Paralympic competitors, have consistently taken home medals in such international competitions for handicapped athletes.
In other sporting news, Israeli athlete Gal Friedman is in first place in the week-long world championship windsurfing competition, currently taking place in Thailand. In four meets involving a total of 110 surfers from around the world, Gal (whose name means ?wave? in Hebrew) twice finished first, and in second place once. The competition now moves into the finals, and is expected to conclude on Sunday.
In 1996, Gal became Israel?s third Olympic medal winner, when he took the bronze medal in the mistral windsurfing competition at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Keren Leibovitch, who moves about on land with crutches or in a wheelchair, is familiar to Israelis for her having won three gold medals in the 2001 Paralympics. Leibovitch?s times are generally mere seconds slower than fully-able bodied swimmers. She, and other Israeli Paralympic competitors, have consistently taken home medals in such international competitions for handicapped athletes.
In other sporting news, Israeli athlete Gal Friedman is in first place in the week-long world championship windsurfing competition, currently taking place in Thailand. In four meets involving a total of 110 surfers from around the world, Gal (whose name means ?wave? in Hebrew) twice finished first, and in second place once. The competition now moves into the finals, and is expected to conclude on Sunday.
In 1996, Gal became Israel?s third Olympic medal winner, when he took the bronze medal in the mistral windsurfing competition at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.