Zubari goes for medal today

21-year-old enters the decisive contest in fourth place overall.

By ALLON SINAI, BEIJING
Tzuberi 224.88 (photo credit: )
Tzuberi 224.88
(photo credit: )
Shahar Zubari remained in contention for a windsurfing medal on Tuesday, but he won't have his fate in his own hands in the medal race on Wednesday. The 21-year-old finished the 10th and final race of the regular competition in fourth position on Tuesday and will enter the decisive contest in fourth place overall. Julien Bontemps of France leads the Neil Pryde event on 45 negative points, with Nick Dempsey and Tom Ashley tied on 46 points right behind him. Zubari has 54 points, meaning he'll have to finish at least four places ahead of Dempsey or Ashley to leapfrog either of them onto the podium and five positions in front of Bontemps to overtake him. If any of the surfers are tied on points at the end of the competition, the result in the double value medal race will determine the overall standings. On Tuesday, Zubari was in second position after the first half of the race, but when the wind picked up in the second half he dropped down two positions, which may be crucial when all is said and done. "The race was very tough," Zubari said. "The wind was weak, the way I like it, but Bontemps overtook me midway through the race." Of his chances to win a medal Zubari said: "If I do well in the medal race I could win any one of the three medals. If I finish first and one of my rivals comes in fifth, I will have a medal. Nevertheless, I'm not focusing on the other surfers, but on my own performance." The Israeli said the forecast for Wednesday is for weak winds and insisted that the competition is still wide open. "I managed to close in on first position today and did my upmost," he said. Anybody at this level knows what they're doing and everything will be decided on Wednesday," Ma'ayan Davidovich will compete in the women's windsurfing medal race on Wednesday, but regardless of her result will still finish the competition in 10th place overall. The 20-year-old ended the final regular race in 10th position and pipped Frenchwoman Faustine Merret by three points to book a place in the medal race. Davidovich's gap from ninth-placed Wai Kei Chan is, however, 22 points, and she has no chance of finishing any higher than her current position. "My goal was to reach the medal race and I'm pleased I managed to do so," Davidovich said.