Israeli rower secures place at 2016 Rio Paralympics

Moran Samuel booked her place at next year’s Rio Paralympics after she reached the final of the arms-shoulders single scull 1,000m competition at the World Rowing Championships in France.

Samuel, who also reached the London Games in 2012 won her semi-final heat in a time of 5:20.52, to secure her place in the final, which also guaranteed her place in Brazil. She said: “I took the lead from the start and that gave me confidence, I could afford to save energy for the final and I’m very excited because my family was in the crowd and because I have a ticket to Rio.”

Dani Fridman will be looking to join her, when he competes in the 2,000m single sculls semi-finals on Friday. Reaching the semis by finishing third in the quarter-finals in a time of 7:00.57m, he said: “I’m very happy because I was drawn with some of the world’s best rowers, I can feel how all the preparations from the past four years give me the energy and composure to compete. I’m happy that despite the pressure I gave my all at the decisive moment. I’m going to go all out to reach the final on Friday.”

There could be even more Israeli representation guaranteeing their place in Rio if the team in the mixed coxed fours can finish in the top two in Thursday’s B final. Tsofnat Levanon, Barak Hazor, Nissim Nir Mayo and Shay-Lee Shulmit Mizrachi, led by cox Danielle Renny Palatin, need a top-two finish in the B final in order to finish in the top eight and confirm their place.