It was the first time Israel hosted the event.
By Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c
The 47th Junior Track Cycling World Championships at the Sylvan Adams National Velodrome in Tel Aviv wrapped up August 27. This is the first time that the championships were held in Israel.
The event featured approximately 300 under-18 cyclists from 40 countries on five continents. Germany won the most medals, capturing four gold, three silver and five bronze in a variety of competitions.
The opening ceremony at the Velodrome was attended by Israel Olympic Committee Chair Yael Arad, philanthropist Sylvan Adams, the Israeli Cycling Union chair Dafna Ling, Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai, and MK Simon Davidson.
Adams and the Israeli Cycling Federation aim to transform track cycling, in which 36 medals are awarded during the Olympics, into a leading sport in Israel.
The Israeli team at the championships was led by Uri Besh-Duvinsky (who won a medal last month at the European Youth Championships) and Oron Argoc, the Israel youth champion from the Masters Haifa team. Other participants included Noa Schweki, Hilli Biderman, Uri Bahri and Ron Ben-Efraim.
The event was produced by the Comtec Group, which together with Adams has brought leading sports and entertainment events to Israel including the French Super Cup, the Giro D’Italia, the EuroBasket, the Judo Grand Slam, and the Ironman contest in Tiberias.