Swimmer Inbal Pezaro wins Israel’s 3rd Paralympics bronze
29-year-old from Kibbutz Yizrael, paralyzed in her lower torso in childhood, began swimming at age 5
Israeli swimmer Inbal Pezaro won the country’s third bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics on Wednesday, coming in third in the 200-meter freestyle swim.
The 29-year-old veteran swimmer completed the race in 3:38.20 minutes.
Pezaro, from Kibbutz Yizrael in Israel’s north, became paralyzed in her lower torso in childhood.
On Sunday, Israeli rower Moran Samuel won bronze in the 1000-meter single sculls.
The gold medal went to Great Britain’s Rachel Morris, who set a new Paralympic record time of 5:13.69. China’s Lili Wang took silver with 5:16.65. Samuel’s bronze was won in the time of 5:17.46.
Samuel, 34, only took up rowing in 2010. In 2012 she came fifth in the London Paralympic event. In 2015 she won gold at the World Cup event in Lake Varese, Italy.
A day later, sharpshooter Doron Shaziri scooped up another bronze for the Men’s R7-50m Rifle 3 Positions.
The gold went to Laslo Suranji of Serbia, and the silver was claimed by Abdulla Sultan Alaryani of the United Arab Emirates.
The 49-year-old Shaziri served as a sharpshooter in the IDF’s Golani Brigade, and completed a sniper’s course with distinction. In August 1987, he trod on a landmine during near the IDF’s post at the infamous Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon and lost a leg from the knee down.
He went on to set up a business adapting wheelchairs for injured soldiers.
In 2012, he was chosen to carry Israel’s flag into the opening ceremony of the London Paralympics.
