The Holy Land is now also the Golden Land.
Israel finally did it—Gal Fridman became the first ever gold medal winner for Israel when he captured first place in the Mistral class of windsurfing in Athens on Wednesday. It was the first gold medal for Israel in 12 Olympic games dating back to 1952. After winning, Fridman declared his intention to bring the medal to the monument in Tel Aviv for the 11 Israeli athletes who were murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich games in 1972.

“All my countrymen should be out in the streets celebrating now,” Fridman said shortly after the race. He also acknowledged that he felt the support of his nation helped inspire him. “When after the start I felt a bit tired, it was as though the whole country was pushing me to win.” Fridman had previously won a bronze medal for Israel in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Fridman was in second place overall in the Mistral class of windsurfing entering the final race. He placed second in the final race while the leader, Brazilian Richard Santos, finished a distant 17th.

Israel now has won two medals in the Athens games, having picked up a bronze medal earlier. Unfortunately, Israel’s appearance at Athens has not been without controversy as an Iranian athlete, Arash Miresmaeili, refused to appear in a judo match against an Israeli opponent during the opening weekend of the games. If living well is the best revenge, winning a gold medal is a close second.