[MakkabI]
June 15th, 2005, 08:27 AM
Israel's sailors took silver medals in both the men's and women's 470 event at the European Championship in Poland yesterday.
No races were held yesterday, leaving Udi Gal and Nir Klieger in silver medal position in the men's event and Vered Buskila and Nika Kornitzki in second in the women's event.
The men's event was won by guest Argentinian pair Javier Conte and Juan De La Fuente and the European title went to Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield. Gal and Klieger came in third to take the silver medal three points behind Rogers and Glanfield and five points behind the winners.
Kornitzki and Buskila finished five points behind Ingrid Petitjean and Nadege Douroux of France.
For both pairs, yesterday's silver medals removed some of the bitter taste remaining from last summer's Olympic Games in Athens, where they failed to finish among the medals despite high expectations.
"It is an exceptional achievement for Israeli sailing," said Israel Sailing Association chairman Yehuda Ma'ayan. "I'm glad both pairs took medals. Our next goal is gold at the World Championship in San Francisco."
The medals give both pairs a place in the Olympic Committee of Israel's elite squad and a NIS 5,000 a month grant for each of the sailors.
No races were held yesterday, leaving Udi Gal and Nir Klieger in silver medal position in the men's event and Vered Buskila and Nika Kornitzki in second in the women's event.
The men's event was won by guest Argentinian pair Javier Conte and Juan De La Fuente and the European title went to Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield. Gal and Klieger came in third to take the silver medal three points behind Rogers and Glanfield and five points behind the winners.
Kornitzki and Buskila finished five points behind Ingrid Petitjean and Nadege Douroux of France.
For both pairs, yesterday's silver medals removed some of the bitter taste remaining from last summer's Olympic Games in Athens, where they failed to finish among the medals despite high expectations.
"It is an exceptional achievement for Israeli sailing," said Israel Sailing Association chairman Yehuda Ma'ayan. "I'm glad both pairs took medals. Our next goal is gold at the World Championship in San Francisco."
The medals give both pairs a place in the Olympic Committee of Israel's elite squad and a NIS 5,000 a month grant for each of the sailors.