The road to the title of European windsurfing champion was turbulent: his body ached from surgery and his heart was broken from parting • But the determined cruiser managed to get up and conquered the podium in Portugal
A few months before he conquered the sea of Portugal and was crowned the new European windsurfing champion, Yoav Cohen sank into a personal crisis.
One that obliges him to grasp his life with both hands, like his surfboard in the sea.
"I had a very unpleasant physical operation, and at the same time I experienced a breakup from my girlfriend, after a year together. I was very sad, and I was in great pain physically and mentally. But precisely from there, from the lowest place, I made my biggest leap. The crisis must look deep inside and fly Back up, in the missile. And I'm happy, because I got to the championship in Portugal very strong physically and mentally, and everything worked out for me. From day one I was in a crazy zone.
"Just before I crossed the finish line on the last cruise I felt chills. That moment, a second just before the finish, when I knew everything was closed and sealed, was a bomb of tension release. It was a moment I imagined in front of the mirror from the age of 7. A dream come true. I, Yoav Cohen "European champion in seniors. First among legends in the industry - our Shahar Zubari and Kiran Badlu the Dutchman, who is the world champion."
After throwing himself into the icy water of the stormy sea and celebrating his win alongside Zubari, who came in second in the competition, and their co-coach, Gur Steinberg, Cohen returned to shore and immediately called Dad Hananel.
Their shouts of joy could be heard by all present at Wilamora's marina.
Hananel: "I couldn't relax. I was moved to tears. I shouted at Yoav on the phone: 'We did it, you did it! You are a champion, a giant, you are a European champion!'
All the tremendous tension that accumulates in me in all his competition suddenly dissipated, at once.
"Yoav is my son, but I am like his big brother, both because I am young at heart and also because we have always been the closest in the world.
"Since he is 7 years old, I follow him to every corner of the country and abroad, doing everything to make him successful. And here, it happened. What a champion!"
After two days of sleepless celebrations, Cohen left Portugal and landed in Israel in the middle of the week.
Father Hananel waited for him impatiently at the airport, honored him with a warm hug and branched out the medal with him.
"Come on, Dad, home," Yoav sighed.
"I have to get some sleep, even a few hours."
"From age zero like a fish in water"
Cohen (21), the son of Hananel (54), owner of the construction company "Hanko", and Isabel (63), with a journalistic background in France, was born in an unusual home, literally: until the age of two, his family lived in a caravan in Ganei Yehuda.
Next to him grew up his older sister, Adi (45), Isabel's daughter from a previous marriage.
Hananel, who grew up on Kibbutz Hanita in the north, became acquainted with Isabel when she came to Kibbutz from France, at the age of 16, through the Habonim movement ("I came alone, out of Zionism").
In Hanita, Isabel met her first husband, who was on a kibbutz in the Nahal service, and after her marriage she moved to Paris, where Adi was born. Over the years, she divorced and returned to Israel, They got married in 1998. When Yoav was two years old, the family left the trailer in favor of a permanent home in Kadima
.
Yoav confirms: "I was such a 'Muggle' child, climbing trees, walking barefoot. I really liked visiting the late Grandma Rina and Grandpa Eliko, who still lives in Hanita.
In the kibbutz I had freedom, spaces, fun.
I would go looking for turtles in the sands, doing nature walks.
I was so connected to it. "
At the age of 7, Hananel's cousin, Danny Kotzer, a surfer himself, decided to take Yoav to a surf camp in Sdot Yam. Yoav fell in love with the open water at a level no one could have imagined
.
The surfing was kayaking, but also in the wind, and at the end of the camp I just wanted to stay.
My parents enrolled me in a club surfing club in Sdot Yam.
"I was small, skinny, and everyone said to me, 'Leave windsurfing. Surfing in boats, which are like a tub with a sail, it's less physical and easier.' But I was a stubborn, annoying child like that. I drove the people there crazy to let me windsurf. And you see Windsurfing usually only starts at the age of 10.
"When they saw that I was not giving up, they gave me a special permit. Eli Zuckerman, who today is my professional manager at the sailing association, was then the chairman of the Sdot Yam club.
He gave me permission to start windsurfing at such a young age. "
From childhood he did not give up any training, despite the logistical challenge." My father worked in Tel Aviv, and four times a week he had to return from work to Kadima, to take me to Sdot Yam at noon.
Mom also took me to training and brought me back.
Both were very involved in each.
I remember once when the sea was wavy and stormy.
Dad rolled up his pants and put me in the sea, and only after he made sure I was well placed on the surfboard did he get back in the car, all wet.
He sat for three hours waiting for me until I finished training.
"I saw how much he invests in me, how much he wants me to succeed and go with my dreams. He's never grumbled. I would ask him, 'Dad, isn't that too much for you? Isn't that a problem?'
"He always answered no. In everything I needed, he and mother were there. I knew it from a young age, and it gave me a huge boost. On Saturdays they took me everywhere in the country where there was a competition, even in Eilat. They did not miss anything."
Father Hananel, who is kept on his son's cell phone called "The Tool," is excited again.
"This kid always knew where he wanted to go. I don't remember one time he missed a workout. Isabel and I shared the load. We traveled with him overseas, to Hawaii, and surfed there.
Also in France, in Greece, in places where it is possible to surf at sea.
It was life fun.
"In the meantime, I also fell in love with the sea, and slowly it became my hobby. I started learning to surf myself. Sap, Sap rowing, surfing. That's how I spent my time training in Yoav, and in the meantime I really enjoyed myself."
In seventh grade, Yoav decided to make a change that would solve the problem of physical distance from his sailing club, and persuaded the family to move further north, to Caesarea.
Hananel: "Yoav said: 'I want us to live closer to Sdot Yam.' At first we hesitated, because the house we bought in Kadima was designed by Isabel, and we loved it. ".
Yoav: "We rented a house in Caesarea, and life became much easier and more accessible. I would come to training on a skateboard, or at the end of the school day at Maagan Michael I would get on a shuttle to Sdot Yam. At school everyone thought I was from Sdot Yam," he laughs.
Injections of growth hormone
As a child, Yoav was always skinny and small.
Father Hananel says that in the eighth grade his son received injections of growth hormone.
"The doctor who injected him then told us, 'Don't forget me when the boy brings the medals.'"
Although physically he has lingered in the meantime, over the years Yoav has started remarkably with his athletic achievements.
The sailing club realized that under their noses they had a youth champion with huge potential.
Indeed, at the age of 12 and a half he had already won a silver medal at the European Under-15 Championships, held in Spain.
"It was very exciting. Just the beginning of my journey in the world," he enjoys recalling.
From here he preyed on championship after championship.
At the age of 13 he won the World Youth Championship up to the age of 15, held in Poland.
At the age of 16, he also picked up the World Under-17 Youth Championship, which was held in Italy, and two years later he added to the resume the Under-19 World Championship, which was held in China.
This made him the only Israeli athlete so far to win three world championships in all age categories.
"It all gave me confidence. I used to lead and win titles, but I always knew that the transition to alumni, to competitions against all the sailing giants I saw from the age of 12 on YouTube and never ceased to marvel at their performance, would be a whole different story.
" Friedman in pictures and also face to face.
In 2008, when I was 10, I was watching TV at the Beijing Olympics.
Shahar Tzobari won a bronze medal there.
I remember saying to my father: 'This is my dream, to get to the Olympics and represent Israel.'
I knew I had to, as always, work the hardest in training.
It did not deter me.
On the contrary: it challenged me, put me in another drive. "
At the age of 18 he also began to grow physically, and today he rises to a height of 1.82 meters.
His first competition in the seniors, in Spain, surprised him for good.
"It was two and a half years ago, in Palma de Mallorca. A round competition in the European Cup. There were 120 skiers. After two days of cruising, the skiers are divided into two groups, and the first 60 in the ranking enter the Golden House.
" I entered the Golden House from first place.
I was in total shock from this.
At the end of the entire competition, I came in 12th place, which was a great achievement for me. "
Later, in the ongoing confrontation with the demanding industry sharks (" who just want to get and devour each other "), Cohen experienced ups and downs in his fitness.
" In the summer of 2018 there was another European Cup competition In Denmark.
I got there to place 35. Really not good.
I did not give a proper performance.
But to my delight, I always knew how to take the achievements and failures, so to speak, in proportion.
I have no trauma from bad competition.
I always knew how to go back to training and myself, and I knew there were more competitions where I could fix and succeed. "
At the end of 2018, a small round competition was held in the Netherlands. There he won first place." It was a good competition, but even in this case I kept to myself.
I knew it was just another stone in my path.
The goal was and remains to reach the Tokyo Olympics, and I knew it would be very difficult. "
In 2019, the race of the sailors for a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics began, including the Olympic tests that determine who will represent Israel. Because it is one Neil Fried cruise, the battle for the Israeli team has become fiery. And closer and closer.
Cohen actually started well. At the European Championships held in April of that year in Palma, the first of the Israeli sailors arrived, a point away from the top ten (11th place). "Only those who reached the top eight got a score for Tokyo, but that gave me the ticket The Israeli for the pre-Olympic competition held that summer in Japan, a year before the original Olympics, "he explains.
In Japan he finished in eighth place." It's nice, but only the top three got points, so in the end, it did not help me in the internal Olympic struggle. Israel. "
at the end of December 2019 was held the world Championship in Italy, where he finished only 25th place. Who led the Israelis were sailing competition at the end of Reubeni, finishing in eighth place. Shahar Zuberi finished 12th.
great turnaround Cohen's fight on the card to Tokyo Arrived ten months ago, at the World Championships in Australia
Ye in February, just before the Corona crisis.
"Two weeks before the competition, I underwent rupture surgery (repair of a wound in the anus;
It happened to me because of the stress and mental strain.
I was in excruciating pain, and I had to have surgery.
On the other hand, I did not want to lose the important competition in Australia.
So all in all, my body was not in good condition, and obviously I did not get there in optimal condition.
On the contrary. "
Shahar Zuberi, hound experienced and successful, ended the competition in fourth place, and far behind the finished Kohen (ranked 21) and Reuven (10). This, in fact, promised himself aggregators card Envisioning Israel Tokyo Olympics.
Cohen realized his dream vanished. After two years And a half in the seniors, after endless grueling training and competitions, the Olympic pur fell - and not in his favor.
"Yes, it was a blow.
But a month after the championship a miracle happened to me from heaven.
Because of the spread of the corona around the world, the Japanese decided to postpone the Olympics to next summer.
First they took my dream - and suddenly they gave it back to me.
I felt like someone had given me back a big and expensive gift and said to me, 'Now take it.'
"I got into the trap of investing, a thousand times my normal output. I told myself there was no way I was giving the opportunity to slip away from me again."
Cohen continued to surf and train, but at the same time the troubles continued to attack him, and from every direction.
"About two months after Australia, I had the problem of rupture again. I was sure that after the operation it was resolved, but no. The doctors wanted me to go in again, but this time I decided to refuse and focus on other treatments.
" I started meditating with the Sea Hope method with an amazing guy from Caesarea Ari Gitlband.
It is a method of breathing and ice baths.
The motto is 'what hurts me does not mean I suffer'.
This winter we plan to climb Mount Hermon in a bathing suit and sock hat.
"This method helps me relax and heal. In addition, I have changed my diet, and I drink frozen fruit smoothies in the morning, with natural protein powders. I skimp on fried foods. I felt I was progressing and being able to overcome the health problem on my own."
But then, four months ago, he received an unexpected emotional blow when his partner broke up with him.
"That, too, was a blow to me. She's surfing herself, 20 years old, and we were together for more than a year. The breakup came as a surprise to me.
" I sank to a low place.
But as mentioned, precisely from the low point I made an amazing process with myself.
I'm grateful for where I was.
He raised me to an inner depth and height that I did not know myself at all.
Out of all the troubles I was reborn, stronger, determined and much more mentally stable.
I did not stop devouring the training.
Investing all my life in the big goal: the Tokyo Olympics next summer. "
Armed with his" Neil Pride "surfboard, equipped with endless energy and peak concentration, Cohen stormed the European Championships, held last week in the Portuguese city
of Villamora
.
" I got out of my life and felt I was coming To Portugal in hi, in the highest place.
I focused there only on my cruises.
From the first day of the competition I did my meditations, put on headphones and was focused only on the competition.
I did not hear anything and was not focused on anything else. "
He finished the first day of the championship in first place, and so the second and third day." There are three cruises a day, and at the end of each day check the results of all cruises, weigh them with the results of previous days. The actual carrier.
"Suddenly I started getting a flood of messages on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, from people I don't know at all. They had already crowned me and said 'well done.' Only the last medal cruise, on Thursday. "
In the morning the medal cruise completely silenced the mobile.
"Enough, I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted my quiet. On this cruise I came in fifth place, but that was enough for me to win gold, thanks to my weighted rating. I couldn't believe it was real."
And yet, the struggle is not over, and is now reaching the fiery deciding stage.
"Shahar Zubari, who still leads me in our internal rankings to Tokyo, was very pleased with me for winning. He celebrated with me on the boat, and even later. Shahar is like my big brother. I know tensions that existed in the past between competing skiers, with blockages on crucial cruises and such That's not the case. On the contrary. We both crossed the finish line and hugged.
"Obviously immigrating to Tokyo is my dream, and Shahar's success can take it away from me, but we know how to make a separation, and I wholeheartedly believe that our sportiness will be maintained at the next crucial European Championships (March 2021, "In the same place in Portugal; NA), after which we will know who finally won the Israeli ticket to Tokyo, Shahar or me."
Cohen speaks highly of his national team coach, Gur Steinberg, who led Gal Friedman to a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and to the gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 - the only Olympic gold so far in Israeli sports.
This is a stubborn and opinionated coach, who left the position of engineer at the Intel Development Center to rehabilitate Israeli sailing.
Gore is a super-professional coach. Holds the team excellently. He has his methods, and there are disagreements between us sometimes, but in the end, he is very consistent and accomplished. He is the coach who says all the time: 'I'm not here to help you fail, but to "To help you succeed. 'All of this makes us all follow and appreciate him. Gore's path, and his systematic pursuit of achievements and medals, have led me and the team to the top of the world."
Cohen has known the assistant coach, Shahaf Amir, since childhood, when he served as his personal trainer at the surfing club.
"Seagull was everything to me from a young age. He really nurtured and raised me at sea. He was with me at all the intersections, crises and successes. He believed in me and knows me best in the world. Of course he was with us now in Portugal."
Also thanks to his personal fitness trainer, Eyal Farkash, Cohen.
"Eyal took me to the gym and worked with me with dedication, even when I was a skinny little boy. He is a part of me, much more than a trainer."
Following the winning of the European Championship, Cohen was upgraded to the gold staff of the Olympic Committee in Israel, and now he will receive a regular monthly scholarship of NIS 8,500 per month from the joint fund of the Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
"I receive the full professional support of the Achievement Sports Unit, the professional arm of the Olympic Committee. This is support that includes a professional, medical and mental envelope. The sailing association, led by Eli Zuckerman and Gili Amir, and my club in Sdot Yam also give me a lot of support."
And he also has a surprising sponsor.
"When I turned 18 and was looking for a sponsor, one day I received, as in the legends, a phone call from Bank Hapoalim, which also adopts the Olympic Committee. I was informed that they had decided to adopt me. I was shocked. And even when they thought I did not qualify for Tokyo, they extended my contract. "They give me 5,000 shekels every month, and in fact, with the financial help of the Olympic Committee, I am well organized. At the moment, I have a quiet mind to concentrate only on water."
"Suggestions from girls on Facebook"
He took advantage of the past week for a few rare days of freedom.
"It's crazy what's happened to me in the last few days. I've gotten countless Facebook membership offers, even from women I don't know at all. Messages in every possible media. And I owe a bit of a quiet.
And what will you do tomorrow morning, as European champion?
"What do you think?" He laughs, "I will be in the water, from morning to afternoon. I have to get off Olympus quickly. I go back to training, because there is more hard work ahead of me."
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