Israel enjoyed a golden weekend at the European Water Ski Championships in Beckum, Germany, as Aviv Levy captured the gold medal in the men’s slalom, marking his fifth consecutive European title in the discipline.
Joining Levy and his coach Or Shinuk on the podium was teammate Yam Lev, coached by Moshiko Tzdaka, who earned his first senior-level bronze medal after previously medaling as a youth, giving Israel a proud double presence in the event.
Lisa Dobjevich, the reigning world silver medalist, looked strong in qualifying with a first-place finish but was unable to reproduce her best form in the final and placed eighth. A fall during the slalom left her with an injury that hampered her performance in the jumping competition as well, where she nonetheless battled to a respectable sixth place.
Israel among best in the world for slalom
Israel’s younger generation also showcased its talent. Ofek Gohar claimed gold in the under-15 slalom, while in the under-19 division, Eliav Shemer and Grisha Dobjevich came close to the podium with fourth- and fifth-place finishes.
“We’ve completed another successful European Championship, and once again the Israeli team has proven that in slalom we’ve been among the best in the world for nearly a decade,” said Maoz Tal, CEO of the Israel Water Ski Association.
“Lisa will return to the top. She’s an outstanding athlete in both slalom and jumping. With this competition season now behind us, our focus turns to next year and the World Championships in both wakeboarding and water skiing," said Tal.
"A special thank you to the Ayelet Federation and the Competitive Sports Unit for their ongoing support. Without them, these achievements year after year would not be possible.”