Windsurfing: Zubari edges Mashiah for Olympic nod
05/28/2012 05:51
Zubari dominates the fourth and final competition in the internal battle between the bitter rivals and qualified for the Olympics.
Windsurfer Shahar Zubari Photo: Courtesy of the Olympic Committee of Israel
Shahar Zubari will represent Israel in the windsurfing competition at the London
Olympics after completing a remarkable comeback to overtake local opponent
Nimrod Mashiah.
Mashiah entered the World Cup event in Medemblik,
Netherlands, with a significant 17-point lead over Zubari in the Olympic
Committee of Israel’s race for the country’s single berth at the
Olympics.
However, Zubari dominated the fourth and final competition in
the internal battle between the bitter rivals and qualified for the Olympics at
the expense of Mashiah after finishing in first in Medemblik while Mashiah could
only end the event in eighth place.
“I think Nimrod was slightly
complacent because he thought he had already booked his place in London,” said
Zubari, who is hoping to win a second straight medal at the Olympics after
taking a bronze in Beijing four years ago.
“For me, reaching the Olympics
is only the beginning.
I’m aware of the expectations from me and I will
do my best. Clearly, I was worried that I might not make it to London. I knew
that my only chance was by taking a gold in the World Cup and I did that.”