Primer

Gal Friedman sailed a remarkably consistent regatta in the Mistral windsurfing competition, never finishing worst than eighth in the 11-race series. He placed second in Wednesday's decisive race.

British windsurfer Nick Dempsey moved into first place with Gal trailing him by 18 seconds into the third float.

Israeli Dedicates First Gold to Munich Victims

Israel's first Olympic gold medallist dedicated his victory on Wednesday to his 11 countrymen killed in the Munich massacre of 1972, vowing he would visit their memorial to show them his medal.

"I'm sure they're watching us," said Athens windsurfing Mistral champion Gal Fridman, who was born three years after the Israeli athletes and coaches were killed following an attack on the Olympic village in Germany by Palestinian guerrillas.

"We think about them all the time. They're always in our mind," said Fridman, draped in an Israeli flag.

"When I get home I will go to the memorial place for them and show them the gold medal."

Fridman's victory, the first since Israel first took part in the Olympics in 1952, brought screams of delight in shops and offices across the country. Many were glued to television sets, which repeatedly showed him crossing the finish line in triumph.

"We are all excited, all the people of Israel. I think also all of the Jewish people," said Israeli President Moshe Katsav.

"To see our flag displayed and hear our national anthem played at the awards ceremony is a moment we have long been waiting for," team chief Gilad Lustig said.

Placing, however, was determined in relation to Brazilian Ricardo Santos, who placed 16th, and Gal placed first. He immediately pulled out his Israeli flag and draped it over himself.

He was followed by Greek contender Nikos Kaklamanakis who came in second with Dempsey placed third.

Gal's teammates congregated on and around his surfboard after the race. Friedman's victory finally gives Israelis the chance to hear the "Hatikvah" during a medal ceremony, scheduled for 8 pm (1 pm EST) Israeli fans sang it spontaneously last week when Ariel Zeevi won a bronze medal in judo.

Gal's coach Gur Steinberg left his job at Motorola Semi-Conductors to coach him.

"Gal executed a brilliant race today that brought him in first," Steinberg told Channel 1. "We have a lot of experience and our strategy doesn't stand in the way of Gal's freedom to do what he feels is necessary."

"There were moments I was worried but the good guys always win," Gal said. "The feeling is great. It's a dream. I was focused all the time and I wasn't scared of the pressure. This is definitely the best way to win."

"At the start of the race, I was feeling a bit drained, but I suddenly felt a surge of energy, and I'm sure it was the energies of all those who are waiting for me back home," he said.

The Friedmans saw the race at the home of Gal's aunt in Carcur. Friends and family, whose cars filled the driveway and road, flowed into the kitchen and living room so that interviews were nearly impossible.

Gal's father Uri told Israel Radio that all his children love windsurfing. "It's very, very hard to believe that he succeeded in doing this," he said. "I've been sleeping a lot less lately, but it's all part of the game. Gal wrote to me that he slept better than we did."

Gal's parents thanked everyone for their support. His mother said she didn't believe her son would necessarily rest, but would probably start preparing for Beijing.

His brother Yuval, who accompanied him to Athens, said, "Everyone knows he's the best in the world and he would have been the best even if he'd come in last."

Friedman is the first Israeli athlete to win two Olympic medals, having won bronze in 1996.

Points are calculated according to the finishing order of each race, i.e. one point for a first-place finish, two for second, three for third, etc.

After Monday's races, Friedman told reporters that it would "be better for me to have stronger winds because the only one who is really good in strong winds is Przemyslaw [Miarczynski of Poland], who cannot pass me in the overall [standings]."

Meanwhile, Friedman's female counterpart, Lee Korsitz, will also finish her part in the games today. Korsitz, currently ranked 13th, will aim to edge closer to the top 10 with a strong result.

And Israeli kayakist Roei Yellin qualified for the finals Wednesday morning after finishing third in his 1,000 m. semi-final race. The final will take place Friday noon.

After placing fourth in the world championships last year, Yellin was expected to advance, by improving on his qualifying time of 3:34.036, since five of the kayakers in his heat bested that time in their qualifying heats.

Following yesterday's wrestling disappointments, Ya'acov Manasherov will try and redeem Israel's international reputation when he competes in the under-74 kg Greco-Roman class.

In the evening, the king of Israeli track & field, pole-vaulter Alex Averbukh, will begin his quest for Israel's third medal of the games. Averbukh, the reigning European champion and a former world runner-up, will compete in the qualifying for Friday's final.