Korzits claims another gold as Olympic prep begins

28-year-old Israeli comes in four points ahead of Poland's Klepacka after medal race is canceled due to strong winds.

By ALLON SINAI
ISRAEL'S Lee Korzits Windsurfs 311 (photo credit: Richard Langdon/Perth 2011))
ISRAEL'S Lee Korzits Windsurfs 311
(photo credit: Richard Langdon/Perth 2011))
The London Olympics couldn’t come soon enough for Lee Korzits after she was crowned world windsurfing champion for a second-straight time in Cadiz, Spain, on Wednesday.
For a second-straight day, no races took place in Cadiz due to strong winds, meaning the 28-year-old Israeli held on to first position, four points ahead of Poland’s Zofia Klepacka.
Korzits, who became the youngest windsurfing world champion in Cadiz in 2003 and won her second gold in the event just last December, will receive a NIS 100,000 bonus from the Olympic Committee of Israel following her achievement and will be entering the London Olympics as Israel’s best medal hope.
“I’m proud to be standing on top of the world once more,” Korzits said. “I enjoy representing Israel and having so many people supporting me.
“I would like to thank everyone and begin to concentrate on my main target which is the Olympics.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called Korzits to congratulate her for winning a third career world championship gold.
“Congratulations Lee, you represent yourself and our country with honor and success,” Netanyahu told Korzits, who won four of the 10 races in Andalusia, never finishing below sixth.
“You are a champion, the best in the world. I and all of Israel are crossing our fingers that you can also win a medal at the London Olympics.”
Ma’ayan Davidovich, who won a silver medal at the European Championships in February which Korzits missed through illness, ended the championships in eighth place and has now lost any chance to overtake Korzits in the battle to represent Israel at the Olympics.
However, the fight between Nimrod Mashiah and Shahar Zubari to be Israel’s lone representative in the men’s event in London will go down to the wire.
Mashiah opened a 17-point lead over Zubari according to the OCI’s point system after ending the championships in sixth place overall, while Zubari finished in ninth.
Despite the deficit, Zubari, who won a bronze medal at the Beijing Games, can still book his place in the Olympics at Mashiah’s expense in the fourth and final qualifying competition, a World Cup event in the Netherlands in May.


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