Gal Fridman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gal Fridman

Israeli Olympic gold medalist Gal Fridman in 2004
Personal information
Native name	גל פרידמן‎
Born	(1975-09-16) September 16, 1975 (age 49) Karkur, Israel
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	68 kilograms (150 lb)
Other interests	Cycling [1]
Sport
Country	Israel
Sport	Sailing
Event(s)	Mistral
Club	Sdot Yam
Coached by	Mike Gebhardt
Retired	2008
Achievements and titles
World finals	(2002)
Regional finals	(1995, 2002)
Olympic finals	(2004)
Highest world ranking	1st (Mistral, 2003) 25th (RS:X, 2007)
Medal record Sailing Representing  Israel Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Mistral Bronze 1996 Atlanta Mistral World Championships Gold 2002 Pattaya Mistral Silver 1996 Haifa Mistral Bronze 2003 Cádiz Mistral European Championships Silver 1995 Isle of Wight Mistral Silver 2002 Neusiedlersee Mistral Bronze 1997 Murcia Mistral Bronze 2001 Marseille Mistral
Updated on 8 August 2012.

Gal Fridman (born September 16, 1975) is an Israeli windsurfer. He is famous for being Israel's first ever Olympic gold medalist. Gal won a bronze medal at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. Later, he won a gold medal at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. He is one of only two Israeli athletes to win two Olympic medals. His first name, Gal, means "wave" in Hebrew.

He was born in Karkur, Israel. Today, he lives near the water in Sdot Yam, a nearby kibbutz.

Gal Fridman's Early Life and Career

Gal Fridman was born in Karkur, Israel. He grew up close to the Mediterranean Sea. His father introduced him to windsurfing at a young age. Gal started sailing when he was seven years old. He began racing competitively at age 11.

He competed in youth events internationally while still in school. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, he started competing as an adult. In 1995, he won the ASA Boardsailing Championship in Eilat, Israel. He also won the International ASA Windsurfing Championship in Eilat in 1999. In 2002, Gal won the Mistral World Championship in Pattaya, Thailand. He was ranked number one in the world for Mistral windsurfing in February 2003.

Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Gal Fridman won a bronze medal. This was for Israel in the Olympic Sailing Windsurfing Event. He competed in the Mistral Men's Windsurfing category. Because of this achievement, he was named Israeli Sportsman of the Year.

Olympic Games: Sydney 2000

Even though he was in great shape in the years before, Gal did not compete in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He did not win the Israeli Olympic Trials that year. Another windsurfer, Amit Inbar, represented Israel instead. Amit finished 7th overall in the competition.

Olympic Games: Athens 2004

Gal Fridman receives a certificate from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Gal Fridman was back in top form for the 2004 Olympics. He was one of Israel's top athletes expected to win a medal. He trained very hard for two years before the event. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Gal competed in windsurfing again. This event, called the Mistral Windsurfer Class, included 11 races.

Gal was coached by Michael Gebhardt from the U.S. Michael was also an Olympic windsurfing medalist. He had won a silver medal in 1992 and a bronze medal in 1988.

In the final race on August 25, 2004, Gal finished in 2nd place. He used a smart strategy against the Brazilian leader, Ricardo Santos. Gal also beat the Greek windsurfer, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis. He ended the Olympic competition with the lowest score of 42 points. In sailing, the lowest score wins. This amazing performance secured his 2004 Olympic gold medal in windsurfing. Gal Fridman became Israel's first Olympic gold medalist!

Gal dedicated his medal to the memory of the 11 Israeli athletes. They were tragically killed by terrorists during the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Athens 2004: Final Results

• 1st: Gal Fridman – Israel (Gold medal)
• 2nd: Nikolaos Kaklamanakis – Greece (Silver medal)
• 3rd: Nick Dempsey – Great Britain (Bronze medal)

Olympic Games: Beijing 2008

As the 2008 Beijing Olympics approached, Gal found it hard to get used to the new Olympic windsurf board. This new board was called the RS:X Neil Pryde windsurfer. He also had some problems with his equipment during important Olympic trial races. Because of this, he did not qualify for the 2008 Israeli Olympic Sailing Team. Shahar Tzuberi took his place. Shahar went on to win the 2008 Olympic bronze medal for Israel.

Later Years: Cycling and Coaching

Gal Fridman loves cycling. In 2005, he won a gold medal in the Israeli cycling championship. In 2007, he won the Men's Windsurfer New Year International Regatta in Limassol, Cyprus.

After 2008, Gal stopped competing in windsurfing. He started focusing on coaching young Israeli windsurfers. He helped Nimrod Mashiah win a silver medal in the 2009 World Championship.

He also coaches Tom Reuveny. Tom became an Olympic champion at 24 years old. He won the gold medal for Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Tom competed in windsurfing in the Men's iQFoil event in Marseille, France.

Gal Fridman is a Vegan.

Hall of Fame

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

Gal Fridman's Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Gal Fridman para niños

• List of Olympic medalists in sailing
• List of World Championships medalists in sailing (windsurfer classes)
• List of select Jews in sailing
• Israel at the Olympics
• Sports in Israel