Kliger and Gal edge Olympic champions for bronze at worlds

The Israelis finished fifth in the last race of the competition and earned the medal by a mere two points.

By ALLON SINAI
klinger gal 88 (photo credit: )
klinger gal 88
(photo credit: )
Gideon Kliger and Ehud Gal reached a new high in their career on Wednesday morning, winning the bronze medal at the sailing 470 Class World Championships in Rizhao, China. The Israelis finished fifth in the last race of the competition and earned the medal by a mere two points. If Kliger and Gal had finished just one spot lower, they would have been overtaken in the final standings by Olympic champions Gabrio Zandora and Andrea Trani of Italy, who finished just outside the medal range. The duo became the first Israelis in 11 years to win a 470 world championship medal. Brothers Eran and Nir Shental won the bronze in 1995. The team's success in China is a positive sign ahead of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Kliger and Gal, who won the silver at last year's European championships and finished fifth at the world championships two years ago, will have gained confidence by competing and winning against the world's best teams, especially since the competition took place in China. Nic Asher and Elliot Willis of Great Britain won the gold medal, while defending world champions Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page of Australia were second in the final overall standings.