Israeli Windsurfers Miss Podium at Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Test Event

For the first time this season, Israeli windsurfing representatives failed to reach the podium at the season-ending competition held at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic venue. The event, part of the 2026 Grand Slam sailing series and the first official competition at the Olympic site, concluded overnight in Long Beach. Tamar Steinberg, the reigning European champion, and Sharon Kantor, the Olympic silver medalist from Paris, were both eliminated during the medal race knockout rounds, finishing sixth and eighth respectively. Daniela Peleg narrowly missed qualifying for the medal races, placing twelfth.

Steinberg started strong, leading after the first day and maintaining stable performance until a difficult penultimate day dropped her to fourth, the last qualifying spot for the semifinals. Kantor began the event in the lower ranks but surged on the final day to secure eighth place and a quarterfinal berth. However, both athletes faltered in the medal races, with Kantor exiting in the quarterfinals and Steinberg in the semifinals without challenging the top two finalists.

The competition was won by British world champion Emma Wilson. The absence of Israeli athletes on the podium breaks a remarkable streak of successes this season, which included Kantor’s silver at the Lanzarote World Cup, Steinberg’s gold in Palma de Mallorca and silver in Hyères, and Steinberg and Shahar Tibi’s gold and bronze at the recent European Championship. Women’s team coach Shahar Tzuberi commented that the team’s performance was below their usual level but emphasized the importance of gaining experience at the Olympic venue ahead of the upcoming World Championship, their main goal for the year.

In parallel, the men’s windsurfing competitors Yoav Cohen, Tomer Vardimon, and Tom Raubani finished outside the top ten, placing 21st, 27th, and 28th respectively. In women’s kite foil, competitors Maya Ashkenazi and Gal Zuckerman placed 14th and 15th. The event marks a critical step in preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, scheduled to open in two years.