Zubari tumbles down the standings, Geller surges up to fourth

Zubari got the championships off to a perfect start on Monday.

By ALLON SINAI
Noga Geller climbed up to fourth place in the women’s competition at the 2016 RS:X windsurfing World Championships yesterday after an impressive performance in the second day of the event in Eilat. (photo credit: AMIT SHISEL)
Noga Geller climbed up to fourth place in the women’s competition at the 2016 RS:X windsurfing World Championships yesterday after an impressive performance in the second day of the event in Eilat.
(photo credit: AMIT SHISEL)
Shahar Zubari’s hopes of claiming a medal at the 2016 RS:X windsurfing World Championships in Eilat suffered a blow on Tuesday after he dropped to 22nd place overall following a disappointing day of racing.
Zubari got the championships off to a perfect start on Monday, winning the opening race in Israel’s southernmost city. However, after ending Tuesday’s first two races in 12th and 4th place, he was disqualified from the third race, being penalized for a fault start. As a result, Zubari picked up another 42 negative points, taking his total to 59 and tumbling him down the standings.
Despite the painful setback, Zubari will not lose hope as he will be able to shed the 42 points when each windsurfer drops his worst result following five races.
Zubari’s rival for Israel’s lone berth at the Rio Olympics, Nimrod Mashiah, climbed up to 17th place overall with 48 points after finishing Tuesday’s races in second, 15th and 14th. Amir Galili sits in 18th place, also on 48 points, ending the day’s races in 13, 20th and sixth.
Great Britain’s Nick Dempsey moved up to first place in the standings on 10 points.
In the women’s competition, Noga Geller surged up to fourth place overall after ending the day’s two races in third and second place.
Ma’ayan Davidovich, a two-time bronze medalist in the Worlds, dropped to 11th place after finishing in 12th and eighth.
Noy Drihan won the first race in the Yellow Group, but could only end the second in 27th, leaving her in 16th place overall.
Poland’s Malgorzata Bialecka leads the competition after winning both of her races on Tuesday.
The surfers will enjoy a rest day on Wednesday before the competition resumes on Thursday. There will be 12 races contested in Eilat until Friday, with the medal race to be held in the final day of the competition on Saturday.