(September 19) - It was another disappointing day yesterday at the Sydney Olympics for the Israeli delegation, after hopes for a first medal were washed away when swimmer Eitan Orbach finished eighth and last in the men's 100m. backstroke final.
Orbach just couldn't keep up with the world's top swimmers, and clocked in with a slow time of 55.74 seconds. Orbach's semifinal finish was 55.31.
Orbach timed 26.88 in the first 50m. of the race, but tired out and had to play catch-up in the second 50m.
"I screwed up," Orbach told reporters in Sydney. "I tried to stay close to the German swimmer, but I was a little tired from [Sunday]. I was very emotional, I thought I'd be less pressured than [Sunday], but that didn't happen."
Despite the less-than-hoped for finish, Orbach's eighth place result is Israel's best so far.
"I'm proud of my achievement," he told Achla Web site after the race. "I think I met all of the goals I set for myself, I'm happy."
"This is a disappointment with a smile," said Leonid Shachit, Orbach's coach, told Army Radio. "You have to remember that Orbach shattered the national record twice during the competitions, and that is an amazing feat."
Orbach first set a new record in the heats on Sunday with a time of 55.44, and then swam the semis in 55.31. The record before the Games was 55.62.
Jewish American Lenny Krayzelburg, the event's favorite, took first place with a time of 53.72, setting a new Olympic record. After the race, cameras stayed focused on the well-built Californian who emigrated from Ukraine, who was recently named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 2000.
"It doesn't matter; I can use as much soap as I want," Krayzelburg told the magazine. "I still smell like chlorine."
While sports officials have said Orbach could bring a medal home from the Athens 2004 Olympics, the swimmer hinted yesterday that he won't be competing at those Games.
"At the next Olympics, perhaps I'll drop in to visit," he told Achla. "But I won't be competing there."
The promising 23-year-old added: "Who knows what will happen, but I don't see myself competing for more than another year."
The nation's other medal hopeful, sailboarder Amit Inbar, had an average day as he kept his sixth place ranking in the mistral event yesterday. There are still eight more races in his event.
In the women's sailboarding, Michal Hein dropped four places to 13th yesterday. She too has eight more races in which to compete.
The first Israeli competitors of the day were swimmers Vered Borochovsky and Micky Halika. Neither performed well.
Halika failed to advance to the semifinals in the 200m. butterfly after he stopped the clock at 2:01.97 minutes. American Tom Malchow had the top semifinal time at 1:56.02.
"I wasn't expecting that much from this race," Halika told Achla Web site after the race. "My result is fine... all this is preparation for my strongest race [tomorrow]."
Halika's third try for a semifinal slot takes place tomorrow in the 200m. individual medley.
Meantime, Borochovsky can only hope that her fourth race will be better than her previous three.
Yesterday the 16-year-old placed 21 out of 36 in the 200m. individual medley with a time of 2:18.99 minutes. She did not advance to the semifinals. Ukranian Yana Klochkova had the best preliminary time of 2:13.08.
Borochovsky takes a leap into the pool again today in the 200m. butterfly.
It wasn't meant to be for judokas Gil Ofer and Orit Bar-On either. Both were tossed out of competition in the first round.
While neither were medal hopefuls, silver medalist Yael Arad, who won the silver in 1992, told The Jerusalem Post before the Games that "it would be a nice surprise if [Bar-On] and [Ofer] finish in the Top 5."
Bar-On put up a good fight against Marisabelle Lomba of Belgium but lost the match with just 26 seconds to go. Spain's Isabel Fernandez took gold in the women's under-57kg. competition.
Ofer was outmatched by Brazilian Tiago Camilo, who went on to win the silver in the men's under-73kg. class. Italy's Giuseppe Maddaloni won the event.
Swimmers Yoav Bruck, Borochovsky and Tal Stricker will compete today. Shooter Alexander Danilov will try today to make up for his disqualification in the 10m. air pistol event on Saturday. Sailboarders Inbar and Hein will continue with their competitions.
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