Israeli Skier Hurts Ankle, Sits Out Giant Sochi Slalom
Delegation hopes Virgil Vandeput, who represents Israel but lives in Belgium, will recovery by Saturday.
Israeli Olympic skier Virgile Vandeput injured his ankle during a heat Wednesday and did not take part in the men's giant slalom at Sochi.
Israel's Olympic delegation is hoping Vandeput, a Belgium and Israeli citizen who lives in Belgium, will take part in the men's slalom on Saturday.
At 19, Vandeput has been a member of the Israeli team since 2010, after representing Belgium until that point. He finished the 2009-2010 season as the best-ranked Belgian junior in slalom and super G, and second best in giant slalom.
He said in an interview after making the switch that he decided to represent Israel because he thought it would give him better opportunities to compete at the highest level.
"I opted for the Israeli federation simply to circumvent the national quota imposed in international competitions," he has said. "This allowed me to participate in competitions as soon as I was able."