Israel wins first Olympic gold

Israel wins first Olympic gold
By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer

August 25, 2004

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A windsurfer whose first name means ``wave'' in Hebrew gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever Wednesday, taking a plunge in the Saronic Gulf to celebrate.

Gal Fridman sailed a remarkably consistent regatta, never finishing worse than eighth in the 11-race series. He placed second in Wednesday's decisive race.

After Fridman crossed the finish line, he took a victory dip and then wrapped himself in an Israeli flag when he came out of the water.


Fridman's victory finally gives Israelis the chance to hear their national anthem during a medal ceremony, scheduled for later in the day. The song is ``Hatikvah'' -- The Hope -- and Israeli fans sang it spontaneously last week when Ariel Zeevi won a bronze medal in judo.

There has been tremendous pressure on Israeli athletes to get their country's first gold at the Athens Games. When Zeevi won his medal, he called it ``the hardest day of my life'' because of the scrutiny.

In 12 previous Olympics dating to 1952, Israel had won only one silver and three bronze medals. Fridman won a bronze in his event in 1996.

Until Wednesday, its Olympic legacy was primarily somber -- political complications, occasional snubs by athletes from Islamic countries and, overshadowing all else, the killing of 11 athletes and coaches who were seized by a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September at the 1972 Games in Munich.

This is pretty cool. It is one of the things I like about the Olympics, a chance for a small country to stand tall.