At the end of the World Championship on the beautiful island of Lanzarote, we will receive the answer as to who will be the representative of Israel in the Olympic Games in Paris in windsurfing in the IQFoil model.
Those who will try to win the fourth Olympic medal ever in the sport for Israel, after Gal Friedman who won gold in Athens 2004 and bronze in Atlanta 1996, and Shahar Zubri who won bronze in Beijing 2008.
It is no wonder that Friedman and Zubri are also the ones currently leading the national teams.
The former Olympic champion does this with the men, while Zuberi works with the women.
But while in recent campaigns the picture was quite clear, this time no one will raise an eyebrow if each of the ten Israeli sportsmen and women who will jump into the water in Spain wins the coveted ticket to Paris.
The support for Guy Sassoon on the way to the final of the Australian Open Wheelchair Championship // Photo: X network
For the men, the main candidates are Yoav Omar, Tom Reuvani, and Yoav Cohen, and for the women, we are expecting a sporting world war between four athletes who in the last two years have been on the podium at the world championships - Shahar Tibi (gold) and Katie Spichkov (silver) in 2023, and Daniela Peleg ( silver) and Maya Morris (bronze) in 2022.
Sharon Kantor, who won last year's silver medal at the European Championships, won the pre-Olympic competition in Marseille and ended the year at the top of the world rankings.
Out of four you will get one
"We have now reached money time," the team's coach Shahar Zubri tells Israel Hayom before the start of the championship.
"The World Championships in an Olympic year is not something normal, it has the double weight of Olympic tests and that everyone comes sharp, but on the other hand I always tell female athletes that it should be looked at as another normal competition of the World Championships."
But for them this is not another world championship - in the end only one will go to the Olympics.
"True, but in order for them to be able to surf the way they know how to surf, they have to continue doing what they have been doing until now, which is to get to competitions and surf their best. Without thinking about the size of the class, just concentrate on the thing itself."
Yoav Omar
A candidate to come to Paris, photo: The Sailing Association
This internal competition, where each looks at the other, can't hurt the goal of reaching the podium in this championship?
"It's possible, but that's why we - me and the team - work very hard to remind them that we want them to stand on the podium and do good results and maximize themselves regardless of the others. They all understand the importance.
"Compared to previous campaigns, or the situation I had with Gal Friedman - of a one-on-one competition, here there could easily be two and the third takes either the fourth or the fifth, because they are all so good, so the only way is for each one to concentrate on herself and try to maximize her abilities Each of our surfers has the ability to win the world championship."
How do you maintain the sportsmanship of the surfers throughout the competition?
"Other than talking and explaining, I really have no control over what happens in the end in the water. Everyone understands that if she competes in an unsportsmanlike manner, we will be there to see it, to prevent it or to know how much weight to give it. In a world championship, without anything to do with the Olympic Games , want to win a medal, and if we miss out because of an internal tackle - that will be a red line for us. The surfers know that above all they are here to fight for a medal."
Spichkov (right) and Tibi. "An unsportsmanlike competition will be a red line", photo: Sailing Association
The world says that our team is the best in the world. This creates pressure and expectations for the important months.
"Definitely. There is no doubt that the title that stuck to us of the best team in the world is binding, but it really does not guarantee us that in the championship now our surfers will surf well. Each has her own things, the fitness she reaches, and we must not forget that the level in the world is constantly rising. Also Our opponents want to succeed."
Do you have a bet who will make it to the Olympics in the end?
"It's lucky that I don't gamble in general, otherwise I don't know who I would have put the money on. I prefer the one that I think has the highest chance of winning a medal at the Olympics. It's a very difficult decision, because they all can."
So at least bet on how the championship and the Olympics will end.
"We are completely focused on an Olympic medal. We will coordinate expectations for Paris after the championship. In most cases, whoever wins a medal in an Olympic year is in the fight for medals in the Olympics as well."
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Sharon Kantor
Breathing in the back of the leading quartet, photo: iq foil class
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