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"wave Friedman"
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GAL FRIEDMAN (BORN 16 SEPTEMBER 1975) IS AN ISRAELI PAST WIND SURFER WHO COMPETES FOR A SORT OF “MISSSTEROL”. HE IS A OLYMPIC CHAMPION ( ATHENS 2004) AND A WORLD CUP (2002). FRIEDMAN IS THE FIRST ISRAELI ATHLETE TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND THE ONLY ONE TO WIN TWO PERSONAL OLYMPIC MEDALS.
BIOGRAPHY AND CAREER
THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD
GAL FRIEDMAN WAS BORN IN HER ROOM FOR LAURA AND A MODEL FRIEDMAN, AND GREW UP IN THE PRADDDDS HANUKKAH. FRIEDMAN BEGAN TRAINING IN A WIND GLIMMER AT THE SAILING CLUB IN THE SEAFIELDS WHEN HE WAS 9, FOLLOWING HIS FATHER WHO WAS FROM THE TOP OF THE SURFERS IN ISRAEL. AT THE AGE OF 13 HE BEGAN TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND AT THE AGE OF 16 JOINED THE ISRAELI TEAM, WHERE HE TRAINED IN THE GUIDANCE OF GOR STEINBERG. HIS MILITARY SERVICE, FRIEDMAN AS AN OUTSTANDING ATHLETE. IN 1989, WHEN HE WAS 13, FRIEDMAN COMPETED IN THE YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (UNTIL THE AGE OF 19) HELD IN MONTREAL AND WON A SILVER MEDAL IN 1994, HE FIRST ATTENDED THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP FOR GRADUATES AND ENDINGS IN THE 19TH PLACE. HE ALSO FIRST PARTICIPATED IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR GRADUATES IN A CONTEST HELD IN THE TOWN OF GIMALI IN CANADA AND CONCLUDED IN THE 35TH PLACE.
FRIEDMAN BECAME ISRAEL’S LEADING ESPIONAGE WHEN THE WAVE MODEL WAS REPLACED IN 1993 AS A “LUKNER” SAMPLE, WHICH EXCELS AN INBER COUNTERPART, TO THE “MISSSTEROL”. HIS RELATIVELY MODEST BODY GAVE HIM AN ADVANTAGE IN THE NEW MODEL. IN MARCH 1995, FRIEDMAN WON HIS FIRST MEDAL IN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS WHEN HE WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE INTERNATIONAL SS CHAMPIONSHIP IN A WIND ROBE HELD IN EILAT. THAT SAME YEAR, HE WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN THE WHITE ISLAND. A YEAR LATER HE WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN WAVES, HAIFA.
THANKS TO THESE ACHIEVEMENTS, HE WAS ELECTED TO REPRESENT ISRAEL AT THE ATLANTA OLYMPICS IN WHICH HE WON THE BRONZE MEDAL AND BECAME THE FIRST ISRAELI SKULL TO WIN THE OLYMPIC MEDAL AND THE ONLY ATHLETE IN THE ISRAELI DELEGATION TO WIN THE MEDAL IN THIS OLYMPICS. IN THE FIRST DRAFT, FRIEDMAN CROSSED THE FINISH LINE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THE FOLLOWING TAGS HE CONTINUED TO FINISH IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN THE SIXTH NIGHTMARE, HE AGAIN WON, BUT HE ENDED ONLY IN THE SEVENTH CRUISE, WHICH UNDERMINED HIS STATUS AND HIS CHANCES OF ENDING IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER. DURING RECENT COMPETITIONS, THE WIND CEASED TO BE BUILT ON THE SOWANA SAILING SITE AND EVENTUALLY HELD IN THE COMPETITION FOR ONLY NINE CRUISES, INSTEAD OF 11 AS PLANNED. IN THE LAST BEFORE, FRIEDMAN ENDED IN THE FOURTH PLACE WHILE THE GREEK KCALMAKIS FINISHED FIRST AND ACTUALLY SECURED THE GOLD. IN THE NINTH AND LAST EDITION, FRIEDMAN ENDED IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY CARLOS ASPINOLIA THE ARGENTINES ENDED AFTER HIM IN THE SECOND PLACE AND SECURED THE SILVER MEDAL, LEAVING FRIEDMAN IN THE BAG OF ALL THE CRUISES WITH THE BRONZE MEDAL.
IN THE EVENT CEREMONY, FRIEDMAN WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE FLAG CARRIER OF THE EXPEDITION.
TEMPORARILY RETIREMENT AND BACK TO THE TOP.
IN 1997, HE WON A BRONZE MEDAL AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN MURCIA, SPAIN. IN 1998 HE WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE INTERNATIONAL SS CHAMPIONSHIP IN A WIND ROBE HELD IN EILAT AND A YEAR LATER WON THE SAME COMPETITION IN THE GOLD MEDAL. DESPITE HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, FRIEDMAN LOST THE PLACE IN THE ISRAELI DELEGATION TO THE SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPICS FOR AN INBAR. FOLLOWING HIS FAILURE TO ENTER THE OLYMPIC TEAM, HE RETIRED FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS, DURING WHICH HE CONCENTRATED ON MOUNTAIN BIKING.
FRIEDMAN CAME BACK TO COMPETE IN THE GALSHA IN MARCH 2001, AND HE ALREADY WON A BRONZE MEDAL AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN MARSEILLES AND FINISHED FOURTH IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
WORLD CHAMPION AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION
IN THE 2002 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HELD IN PATAYA, THAILAND, FRIEDMAN WON THE GOLD MEDAL AFTER LEADING TO MOST OF THE COMPETITION AND BECAME THE FIRST ISRAELI TO WIN THE WORLD’S TITLE IN THE FIELD OF WINDWASHING. ON LAST DAY, FRIEDMAN PROMISED THE GOLD MEDAL AS A GOLD MEDAL