Amit Elor captured the gold medal in Freestyle Wrestling 68kg with a 3-0 win over Meerim Zhumanazarova from Kyrgyzstan. The Jewish American wrestler with Israeli parents who is representing the United States, moved into the gold medal bout after easing past Sol Gum Pak from North Korea in get semifinals. Elor dominated the final from beginning to end to become the United States’s youngest Wrestling Olympic Champion in history.

“Thanks to everyone!” Elor told Israeli TV. “I can’t believe it! I’m an Olympic Champion! It’s such an honor to have [Israel’s] support!”

“Thanks so much for watching me, rooting for me and supporting me and following my journey. It’s such an honor and I really hope that I made you all proud. I’m representing you guys and I’m thinking about you. My heart goes out to all of you right now.”

Elor’s father passed away a few years ago and she has no doubt that he would be extremely proud of her, “I really wish he could be here today to witness this. But you know he was very, very confident like a typical Israeli dad, really believing in his kids, all of them. He was a very, very proud father and I know that if you would have asked him when I was 8-9 years old and you met him at some random place he would have bragged and said, ‘you know my daughter? She’s going to be an Olympic champion one day.’ I was so embarrassed and I would say, ‘Dad, quiet, quiet you’re embarrassing me.’ But that’s how much he believed in me. So even though he’s not here today I know that he believed in his heart that this would happen. I hope that I can carry his legacy.”

While Elor could represent Israel at the Olympics, she has been a product of the American system for many years and appreciates the investment that they have made in her, “It’s hard to think about it right now. It would be an honor and it was something that I have considered in the past. However, I have received immense support from the United States from a very young age and to be honest, I don’t think I would be an Olympic champion today if it wasn’t for the United States.”

Semberg captured a bronze at the Tokyo Games and will look to do better in France after winning gold in the European qualification tournament earlier in the year. The 20-year old will be facing Ali Dunya Abutaleb from Saudi Arabia in the -49kg Round of 16 in her first bout.

In athletics, Blessing Afrifah did not qualify got the 200m as he finished 5th in his first round qualification heat with a time of 20.78 good for 35th overall and in the last chance repechage round he 20.88 to finish 16th as he missed out on the semifinals.  

Over in Marseille, Dor Zarka finished his 7th race and is now 13th overall in Men’s Kite while in Women’s Kite Gal Zukerman sits in 11th place after 6 races. The Mixed Dinghy team of Nitai Hasson and Noa Lasry finished in 8th place overall after 8 races and advanced to the medal races.