Tamar Steinberg Wins World Championship Gold, Sharon Kantor Takes Silver

Israel's sailing team achieved historic success at the World Championships in England, with Tamar Steinberg winning the gold medal in windsurfing and Sharon Kantor securing the silver. Daniela Peleg finished fourth, narrowly missing a podium sweep. This marks the fourth time Israel has achieved a double podium at the World Championships.

Steinberg and Kantor qualified directly for the finals after finishing first and second, respectively, in the preliminary rounds. Steinberg dominated the qualifiers, holding the top spot throughout, while Kantor showed significant improvement. Peleg also advanced to the finals.

The championship format allowed the top two qualifiers, Steinberg and Kantor, to start the final race with an advantage. Steinberg, who was last year's runner-up, secured the win. Shahar Tobi competed in the quarterfinals but did not advance to the semifinals.

The men's competition saw disappointment for Tom Reuveny, the Olympic champion. After initially qualifying for the final in first place, a race restart due to a false start by two competitors saw him finish third in the subsequent heat, preventing his advancement to the final.

Union Chairman Shi Buber praised Steinberg's performance, noting her European Championship win earlier in the year, and highlighted Kantor's strong comeback. He emphasized the need for increased funding for the sport, particularly for equipment, stating that a separate budget of 2.5 million shekels for clubs is crucial to retain athletes. Buber mentioned ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Sport regarding this issue.