Israeli Surfer Ilay Butzen Finishes Fifth at European QS4000 Championship

Ilay Butzen, a 21-year-old surfer from Maccabi Tel Aviv, achieved a career-best fifth place at the European QS4000 surfing championship held in the UK as part of the World Surf League (WSL). Butzen narrowly missed the final, losing in the semifinal by just 0.06 points to a Portuguese competitor. This strong performance earned him 1900 points in the European rankings, boosting him to ninth place, the highest in his career so far.

This event marked the second competition of the season for Butzen, who previously placed 25th at a contest in France two weeks earlier. Looking ahead, Butzen is preparing for his next competition scheduled in Spain in about three weeks. Reflecting on his recent performance, he said, "I felt good in this competition and am definitely satisfied with my performance. The sea conditions were tricky, requiring me to seize every opportunity and surf every wave. I am already fully focused and energized for the next contest."