14 Facts About Gal Fridman

Gal Fridman is an Israeli windsurfer and Israel's first Olympic gold medalist.

Gal Fridman is the first of two Israelis athletes to win two Olympic Medals, and the first Olympic Gold medalist in Israeli history.

Gal Fridman was born in Karkur, Israel, and lives close to the water in Sdot Yam, a nearby kibbutz.

Gal Fridman was born in Karkur, Israel, to an Ashkenazi Jewish family.

The second of three children, Gal Fridman was born to Dganit and Uri Gal Fridman, and has an older sister, Maayan and a younger brother, Yuval.

Gal Fridman started sailing at age seven, and began racing when he was 11.

Gal Fridman began competing internationally in youth categories while still in school.

At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Gal Fridman won a bronze medal for Israel in the Olympic Sailing Windsurfing Event, and was named Israeli Sportsman of the Year.

Back on form leading up to the 2004 Olympics, Gal Fridman was one of Israel's Olympic Team favorites to win a Medal, and prepared intensively for the Olympic Games two years prior to the event.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Gal Fridman again competed in the Olympic windsurfing discipline of sailing, a discipline that included 11 races.

Gal Fridman was coached by retired Olympic windsurfing silver and bronze medalist Michael Gebhardt from the US.

Gal Fridman dedicated his medal to the memory of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by terrorists during the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Gal Fridman guided Nimrod Mashiah to the silver medal in the 2009 World Championship.

In 2005, Gal Fridman was named to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.