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The demise of the Elite Sports Department's Darwinism By Roi Bet Levi Tags: Olympic Games, Arik Ze'evi  "I am disappointed with myself," Arik Ze'evi said Thursday, tears streaming down his face, just hours after he was eliminated from the judo competition in Beijing. "It tears me up that this is what happened after four years of preparations. It's one of the worst tournaments I've had in my life." It's hard to complain about Ze'evi, a true sportsman. The hopes and expectations placed upon his shoulders proved too burdensome, even for a seasoned judoka. There are horrible days and days when nothing seems to work. However, Ze'evi's horrible day followed a week of disappointments among the Israeli Olympic delegation, at least with regard to all its prime medalist candidates. Ze'evi bowed out after losing two of his three bouts, the tennis duo of Yoni Erlich and Andy Ram lost their first and last doubles matches. Tomer Or, the fencer, also lost in a preliminary round, and the team of Ehud Gal and Gideon Klinger have dragged through the sailing event. They were supposed to bring Israel a medal and failed. But in their case, the failure is no orphan. Advertisement The government's Elite Sports Department and the Olympic Committee of Israel focused over the last several years on the "tip of the pyramid," as Gilad Lustig, the head of elite sports, put it. His department sunk the lion's share of its sizeable budget into a small group of athletes with Olympic-medal potential. The first stage of the pyramid scheme was crowned a success during the past two Olympic Games, as Michael Kolganov took a kayaking bronze in 2000 while in 2004 Ze'evi earned a bronze in judo and Gal Fridman won a gold medal in sailing. Beijing was supposed to be the next stage, where Israel would win at least two medals and place as many competitors as possible in the finals. The decision to focus most resources on a small vanguard isn't without logic. It allows the most talented athletes to enjoy the best training conditions. But, when you turn the Olympic team into a closed social club, the Olympic door is closed to many young athletes, whom the Olympic flame could forge into medal-winning athletes in the next Games and who could prove much better prepared for the challenge ahead of them. All the participating states send to the Games not just potential Olympic champions but also athletes with no chance of even reaching the final - the kind who met the international Olympic criterion and thus earned the right to represent their country at the most important athletic event of all. Shortly before the Games opened, the Olympic Committee defended with all its might the decision not to send to Beijing marathon swimmers Daniel Katzir and Olga Beresneva, who met the international Olympic criterion for the new swimming event but not the stricter Israeli criterion. The local committee also added young swimmer Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or at the last moment and only after a drawn-out process of nerve-racking appeals. In the end, he made one of the delegation's great accomplishments yet - participating in the semi-final of the men's 200m freestyle. Israel's Olympic officials use almost every opportunity to voice their worn-out alibi that Israel invests so little. Yet none of the athletes who had the door to the Olympics slammed in their face was asking for money. They just wanted a chance to wear the blue-and-white uniforms. Yes, the big money should go to the best athletes. But at the same time it's a must to invest in the broader spectrum of athletes, and places on the delegation should have gone to those athletes who deserved them. The revisionist concept of the leaders in the Elite Sports Department and the Olympic Committee is now faced with the collapse in Beijing. Even the signs that Shahar Zubari - who led the men's windsurfing field through four events before stumbling Friday - could take a medal, no matter which kind, shouldn't blur this crystal-clear truth. Zubari, like the champions before him, is a wildflower who managed to grow roots in the local sports wilderness despite, and not because of, the culture of Israeli sports. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Running out of time Is Sari Nusseibeh, the symbol of moderation, burying the two-state solution? The empire strikes back Russian artillery roaring into Tbilisi was not really about South Ossetia.

Read & React Israel may use force to halt boat trying to break Gaza siege Responses: 240 Palestinian PM: Israel should free more than just 200 prisoners Responses: 90 Georgia seeks international monitors for Russian pullout Responses: 75 U.S., Israel seal deal for missile radar defense system Responses: 59 Zvi Bar'el: Saudi Arabia and Egypt have lost control of the Middle East Responses: 45 Editorial: Settler lunacy will lead to bi-national state Responses: 94 More Headlines 00:47 Israel Police: FBI probe of Talansky comes as no surprise 21:08 Olmert: Barak blocking cabinet debate on defense issues 00:55 Iran: Our new warplanes can reach Israel without refueling 01:52 Palestinian PM: Israel should free more than just 200 prisoners 00:59 Georgia seeks international monitors for Russian pullout 18:14 Beijing blog / Perhaps it's time to cancel the Olympic Games 16:03 Jewish World / We should stop hugging Israel and start wrestling 20:20 Evangelicals warm to McCain, amid rising conservative attacks on Obama 19:34 4 rabbis among U.S. clerics to address Democratic Convention 20:15 Olympics / Windsurfer Zubari falls to 3rd place after disappointing round 7 10:22 U.S., Israel seal deal for missile radar defense system 15:12 Israel may use force to halt boat trying to break Gaza siege 14:15 Ex-finance minister: I got money from union, but didn't break law 16:11 Qassam hits western Negev, causing no injuries Previous Editions Select Day 17 aug 15 aug 14 aug 13 aug 12 aug 11 aug 10 aug 08 aug 07 aug 06 aug 05 aug 04 aug

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