Udi Gal and Gidi Kliger put a difficult year behind them on Saturday, finishing second in the prestigious Princesa Sofia World Cup sailing competition in Mallorca, Spain.
The duo suffered a horrible 2008, experiencing disappointment both in and out of the sea.
Gal and Kliger were one of the Israeli delegation's medal favorites ahead of last summer's Beijing Olympics, but spent the build-up to the Games sweating over Kliger's positive drug test and ended the competition in a very disappointing 14th position.
However, the two proved in the past week that they remain among the world's top teams as they start the long road to the 2012 London Olympics.
Shahar Tzuberi, who won the bronze medal in the Neil Pryde competition at Beijing, finished fifth in the windsurfing event in Mallorca, with Nimrod Mashiah ending the competition in ninth position.
