Zvi’s gold diggers

Zvi Varshaviak has described the 36-man squad for next month’s London Olympics as the best Israel has ever sent to a Games.

Although the delegation falls short of the 43 who represented the country in Beijing four years ago, Varshaviak insists that what the group lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.

He said: “We’ve had larger squads but this is the best quality squad we have ever had and we expect to win more than two medals.” Previous squads have won seven in three sports – windsurfing, judo and kayaking -and Israel has never returned from the Olympics with more than two.

Judo and windsurfing are again likely to feature and Alex Shatilov could break the mould by winning a gymnastics medal.

Windsurfer Shahar Zuberi will carry the Israeli flag at the opening ceremony, not Lee Korzits, the world windsurfing women’s champion as expected. The OCI felt it was time a woman was given the chance. But in end the OCI has stuck with the tradition of choosing a medal winner from the previous games.

As well as being down in numbers, the squad will compete in fewer sports. OCI Director General Ephraim Zinger said: “We will be competing in eight sports compared with 10 last time.

“Half of the squad will be competing in their first Olympics and 100 competitors tried to meet the Olympic criteria.”

The squad could be increased to 37 athletes, with a wild card entry being given to a youngster, high jumper Dima Kroyter or shot putter Anastasia Muchkayev, depending on who performs better in the European Athletics Championship in Helsinki this week.

Tennis duo Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich have both been confirmed for the Games after meeting the Olympic criteria.