Gal Fridman

2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China

Approaching the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Fridman found it hard to adjust to the new Olympic Windsurf board model, the RS:X Neil Pryde windsurfer. Also he had some crucial equipment failures at key Olympic trial regattas and failed to qualify for the 2008 Israeli Olympic Sailing Team. Shahar Tzuberi took his place and went on to win the 2008 Olympic bronze medal for Israel.

Later years; cycling and coaching Fridman, an avid cyclist, won a gold medal in the Israeli cycling championship in 2005. In 2007, he won the Men's Windsurfer New Year International Regatta in Limassol, Cyprus.

After 2008, Fridman retired from competition in windsurfing and focused on coaching up-and-coming Israeli windsurfers. He guided Nimrod Mashiah to the silver medal in the 2009 World Championship.

He coaches Tom Reuveny, who became the Olympic champion winning the gold medal, at 24 years of age, representing Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in windsurfing in the Men's iQFoil in Marseille, France.

Fridman is a vegan.

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

At the 2005 Maccabiah Games, Fridman was honored as the final torchbearer who lit the flame to officially open the event.

Achievements