Israeli star windsurfer Sharon Kantor won on Saturday a gold medal in the iQFOiL World Championship, which is held in the Canary Islands.
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Fellow compatriot and former Olympian finalist Katy Spychakov secured the bronze medal while Emma Wilson of Britain came in second.
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Windsurfing world champion Sharon Kantor (right) and coach Shahar Zubari (center)
(Photo: Sailing Energy)
With this victory, Kantor has guaranteed her position as Israel's representative at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, set to open in July.
"The feeling is incredible," said 21-year-old Kantor shortly after her win, "I worked extremely hard today. The last race was so challenging. Emma and Katy were fast, and it was a close battle. I've had my ups and downs in this competition, and I'm very grateful."
Katy Spychakov, three-time World Championship runner-up, expressed her disappointment at the conclusion. "I have a lot of respect for Emma and Sharon for an amazing week,” she said. “I wanted more today, but it is what it is. We'll see what the future holds for me."
This achievement builds on coach Shahar Zubari's remarkable success in elevating Israel's windsurfing team to global prominence, with at least one team member consistently reaching the podium in every competition.
This is the second consecutive year that two Israeli women have stood on the World Championship podium, with Shahar Tibi winning gold and Spychakov silver last year.
Tibi's competition ended early and with considerable disappointment after she was disqualified in the quarterfinal sprint and eliminated from the event.
Kantor, who won the pre-Olympic tournament held in Marseille, finished first in the semifinal sail. Last year's runner-up world champion, Spychakov, who has been training separately from the team due to a well-publicized dispute with the Sailing Federation, finished second in the semifinal and joined her.
Among the men, Tom Reuveni finished fifth in the quarterfinal sail. He remained in eighth place overall, making him the top-ranked Israeli windsurfer and likely securing his spot for Paris.