MGYM: Talking About Maccabiah Games, Israel with Shachar Tal – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Israel native shares his experiences from past Maccabiah Games, aspirations for upcoming competition
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shachar Tal, who will be competing at the 18th edition of the Maccabiah Games July 14-15, has shared some of his thoughts on the competition, as well as his favorite places to go while at home in Israel.
Tal, a native of Rehovot, Israel, earned three Top 5 finishes at the last Maccabiah Games held in 2005, including a first-place finish on parallel bars.
Q. You have competed at the Maccabiah Games before – what kind of competition do you face at this event? How many people come to watch?
A. The Maccabiah Games is an exciting event where many countries around the world send athletes to compete. In gymnastics, we compete two days. The first day is the team and all around competition and with the events finals on day two. About 500 people can fit into the competition gym and it is probably going to be full. Plus, it is usually played live on T.V.
Q. How is it different from competing in college?
A. The atmosphere in the gym is different. It is more quite here and you don’t have the same excitement that goes during a college meet.
Q. Is this a time for you to see and compete against guys you trained with before coming to Ohio State?
A. Yes, I will be competing against and with my friends who I trained with. Actually, it turned out to be that five out of the six guys who will be competing for Israel are from my club (Maccabi Tel Aviv).
Q. What is your goal for competing at the Games? Will you be competing the all-around/what events will you be competing?
A. My goal is to compete well and show my improvement since I haven’t competed for Israel in a while. I will compete on five events (everything but high bar).
Q. As a junior you were a Big Ten and NCAA finalist, how has your gymnastics improved in the last three years?
A. I think I did more in the gym throughout the year and I felt more relaxed in practices and competitions which I believe improved my performance.
Q. There are a lot of other sports going on at the Maccabiah Games, will go watch any of it?
A. Yes, I will try to watch the other sports. There are two swimmers that will compete for Israel who also go to Ohio State and I will go to watch their meets.
Q. Where do you like to go during your free time in your hometown – what would you suggest a tourist to see?
A. I go to the beach almost every day. There are many places to visit in Israel. I think the Red Sea is a nice place for a vacation and I like to spend time in Tel Aviv – it’s an exciting city and there is a lot to do.
