Israeli windsurfers win gold, two silvers at European Championships

Israeli sports marked an impressive achievement Saturday as three of the country’s windsurfers won medals in the European Championships — including the top two spots in the men’s race.

The championships in the RS:X class of surfboards were held in Portugal.

Among the men, Yoav Cohen took home the gold, while Shahar Tzuberi bagged the silver. Meanwhile, Katy Spychakov won the silver medal in the women’s race.

For Tzuberi it was his fifth European Championship medal. Tzuberi also won the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Windsurfer Katy Spychakov at the 2020 European Championships in Portugal, November 2020 (Israeli Sailing Association)

Cohen said “words cannot describe” his feelings upon winning the championship. “This is the culmination of many years of hard work,” he said.

Men’s coach Gur Steinberg called the achievements “a perfect storm” and said “the vision of being one of the top teams in the world is being realized.”

Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper congratulated the athletes for their “exceptional achievements.”

Windsurfer Shahar Tzuberi at the 2020 European Championships in Portugal, November 2020 (Israeli Sailing Association)

“We’re proud of you, you’re true champions,” he said.

The wins came a day after Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team took the gold in the group all-around category at the European Championships in Kyiv, and a few days after Israel’s Peter Paltchik won the gold medal at the 2020 European Judo Championships in Prague, in the under-100 kilogram weight class.