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Last update - 19:02 11/08/2008
Olympics / After his father's death, swimmer Alon Mendel sets new Israeli record
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Beijing Olympics 

It was not necessarily one of the highlights of these Olympics, but it was certainly one of the most moving moments for Israeli viewers. Swimmer Alon Mendel, whose father died last week, dove into the pool for the preliminary heat in the 200-meter men's butterfly.

Mendel opened with a good rhythm, striding in his custom elongated movements on his way to a fifth-place finish in the first 100 meters. Then, he began to pick up the pace, setting a new Israeli record of 1:59.27 in the process. He ended the heat in a respectable fourth place.

Still in mourning, Mendel's family watched the heat from their home in Netanya. In an interview with Channel 1, his mother Rina said the family members held their breath as the clock ticked during the race. Rina Mendel spoke with her son right after the heat and told him that he should be proud of his achievement. Other family members said that they don't wish upon any athlete to have to compete in such an important event under such difficult circumstances.
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In recent years, Alon has trained at the University of Michigan with American swimmer Michael Phelps, the leading contender for the Gold medal in this heat.

Mendel got to the Beijing Olympics with much luck. He broke the Israeli record in a decisive heat, but finished in 13th place overall. Mandel made it into the heat in Beijing only after a Greek swimmer was eliminated from the competition because he tested positive for an illegal substance.

Several days before the competition, Mendel received the news about his father, and despite the family's loss, they encouraged Alon to stay in Beijing and compete.

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