Pezaro, Mamistvalov medal for Israel

Paralympic London Games sees Israeli success in 200-meter freestyle S5 class, 200m free S2.

By ALLON SINAI
Inbal Pezaro 370 (photo credit: Razi Livnat)
Inbal Pezaro 370
(photo credit: Razi Livnat)
Inbal Pezaro claimed her second medal of the Paralympic Games in London on Saturday night, finishing third in the 200-meter freestyle S5 class final.
The 25-year-old Pezaro, won Israel’s first medal of the Games in the opening day of competition when she ended the 50m free final in third place on Thursday, and took her personal tally to seven Paralympic medals on Saturday.
She qualified for Saturday’s final from second place overall and ended it in third in a time of 2:56.11 minutes.
Pezaro entered the Games with five Paralympic medals to her name, winning a bronze and a silver in Athens 2004 and three silvers in Beijing four years ago.
Itzhak Mamistvalov gave Israel its third medal in London later on in the evening after ending the men’s 200m free S2 final in third place, edging countryman Iad Shalabi by a single hundredth of a second following a dramatic finish.
Mamistvalov, who won three medals in Athens 2004, clocked a time of 4:58.53m.
Israel’s Moran Samuel will take part in the women’s single sculls rowing final on Sunday after winning her Repechage 1000m heat in a time of 5:44.78 minutes.
Israel has sent 25 athletes to London, 18 men and seven women, and is now only three medals away from equaling its medal tally from Beijing four years ago when it amassed six medals in total, five silvers and one bronze.