Family first as Reuveny makes Olympic bow

Representing Israel in iQFOiL, Reuveny travels to Marseille with gold in his sights in the men’s windsurfer competition, hellbent on making the most of inaugural outing as an Olympian.

With sailing in his DNA, Paris 2024 will act as a defining moment for his family, reaching the mountain top after a long journey in the sport.

Here is how he got to this point.

 

Family beginnings

Spending some of the first years of his life in Ireland, Reuveny first garnered an appreciation for sailing from his father, who windsurfed himself.

As he watched on from the shoreline as a young child, all he really wanted to do was emulate his father, which would inevitably lead him into the water.

“Ever since I was a kid, I would love to go windsurfing,” Reuveny said.

“My dad’s a windsurfer and he did it as a hobby for a long time. He would take us to the beach, and I would always watch him.

“And when I learned to windsurf, I always wanted to go windsurfing with him.

“He always supported me and always took me to the beach when I wanted to, and every time I needed him, he would be there to take me windsurfing.

“I just wanted to be like him. That’s how it began. I fell in love with the sport very quickly.”

 

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Student becomes master

In getting on the water as much as he could as a child, it took only a few years before Reuveny’s skill level surpassed that of his father and mentor.

A moment the future Olympian still cherishes to this day, it did not alter their incredible relationship – with the pair still windsurfing as much as they can.

He said: “It took probably six years, but when you’re a kid, everything comes quite easy for you and you always try new tricks and you’re not afraid of crashing, so it was pretty nice.

“I was also training like three, four times a week, so I was working pretty hard for it.

“He still loves coming windsurfing with me and every time I’m in Israel, if there’s good wind and there’s time, we go together.

“It’s one of his favourite things to do. It’s quite amazing to share a hobby with my dad.”

 

Youth Champion of the World

As Reuveny took his vast ability into the competitive scene, he quickly got hooked on the taste of triumph.

Becoming a youth world champion before claiming two titles at the U21 World Championships, Reuveny made his mark as a superstar for the future in the sailing world.

 

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And while he has yet to experience much of the same joy since becoming a senior, he is desperate to climb back to the top of the podium, in full knowledge of how it feels to conquer.

“I knew I could do well, and I wanted to finish my youth career on a high,” he said. “Winning was amazing, and it was a euphoric feeling that I haven’t really felt as much since.

“I came and I conquered the youth world which was amazing, and it was a good way to close up even though I still could have had another year of youth.

“It was a good way to wrap it up and put it aside. I’m world champion, so let’s move on, focus on seniors and try to achieve that in the seniors.”

 

Tokyo fails, Paris prevails

Reuveny’s initial aspiration was to compete at Tokyo 2020, setting his sights on sailing in the Far East. However, after an arduous selection process, he was pipped to a place in the Israel team in the RS:X.

Failure only pushed Reuveny on further to achieve his Olympic dream, knuckling down in the following years to ensure his place at Paris in the iQFOiL, the new windsurfing class.

 

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“I was close, but not good enough,” Reuveny said, reflecting on his Tokyo woes. “It was a hard experience because it was my dream, but I knew Paris was three years away and it was just around the corner.

“I felt a big relief that I finally managed to qualify. It was nice because the competition level was really high, and I didn’t have to wait another four years.

“I’m in Marseille right now and I’m really feeling the Olympic vibes. I’m coming to the Olympics, do my best and try and succeed.”