JERUSALEM — Israeli swimmer Alon Mendel realized his father’s dream when he qualified for the Olympic team.

Sadly, his father won’t be there to see his son compete, after an accident at the family’s Netanya home claimed Costa Mendel’s life.

In a tragic irony, Alon, 20, was in Beijing preparing to vie for a medal when he learned his father suffered fatal head injuries after falling off a ladder outside the family home two days before the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies while trying to hang up a banner honouring his son’s Olympic bid. Mendel was Alon’s longtime coach.

“How do you say ‘semifinals’ in Chinese?” read the hand-painted banner, a testament to Mendel’s optimism about the prospects of his son, who joined the Israeli delegation after another swimmer was disqualified.

For the Mendel family, the loss was made more acute by the dilemma of whether to recall Alon from the Games. He was scheduled to compete Monday in the 200-metre butterfly race.

Alon’s mother, Rina, decided the best way to honour her husband’s memory would be for her son to compete. Alon’s sister Maya joined him in Beijing, while another sister remained in Netanya to help arrange the funeral.

“You have to stay there and be strong,” Rina Mendel told her son by phone in a conversation recorded by Israel’s Channel 10 television.

“You know your father waited for this moment. Your parents waited for this. We will be among 42 sets of parents watching,” she said, in reference to the size of Israel’s biggest-ever Olympic delegation.

Not everyone agreed with the Mendels’ thinking. Reams of comments on websites disapproved of the swimmer staying in Beijing.

Channel 10 quoted him saying that when he swims, he will imagine his father sitting in the audience, cheering him on along with the rest of his family and the State of Israel.

According to Ha’aretz, Alon will fly back to Israel after competing to take part in what remains of the shivah week.

Sadly, his father won’t be there to see his son compete, after an accident at the family’s Netanya home claimed Costa Mendel’s life.

In a tragic irony, Alon, 20, was in Beijing preparing to vie for a medal when he learned his father suffered fatal head injuries after falling off a ladder outside the family home two days before the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies while trying to hang up a banner honouring his son’s Olympic bid. Mendel was Alon’s longtime coach.

“How do you say ‘semifinals’ in Chinese?” read the hand-painted banner, a testament to Mendel’s optimism about the prospects of his son, who joined the Israeli delegation after another swimmer was disqualified.

For the Mendel family, the loss was made more acute by the dilemma of whether to recall Alon from the Games. He was scheduled to compete Monday in the 200-metre butterfly race.

Alon’s mother, Rina, decided the best way to honour her husband’s memory would be for her son to compete. Alon’s sister Maya joined him in Beijing, while another sister remained in Netanya to help arrange the funeral.

“You have to stay there and be strong,” Rina Mendel told her son by phone in a conversation recorded by Israel’s Channel 10 television.

“You know your father waited for this moment. Your parents waited for this. We will be among 42 sets of parents watching,” she said, in reference to the size of Israel’s biggest-ever Olympic delegation.

Not everyone agreed with the Mendels’ thinking. Reams of comments on websites disapproved of the swimmer staying in Beijing.

Channel 10 quoted him saying that when he swims, he will imagine his father sitting in the audience, cheering him on along with the rest of his family and the State of Israel.

According to Ha’aretz, Alon will fly back to Israel after competing to take part in what remains of the shivah week.