Renate Jakobsen of bowling club Stavanger and Svein Roger Olsen, Solli BK, took different routes to win the women's and men's individual titles in the 2008 Norwegian National Championships at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo.

Record 71 ladies and 221 men started the championships on Thursday and Friday with the doubles event. The champions of the men's and women's division were crowned after six team games.

2007 Norwegian champion Ingunn Øien teamed with Cathrine Bjercke (r-l), Frogner BK, to claim the women's title with 2443 pinfall total and an average of 203.58. Øien led the way with 1286 and Bjercke added 1157.

Silver went to Patcharin Torgersen/Heidi Thorstensen, Solli BK, with 2386, while their team mates Grace Torgeirson/Ine Lorentzen took the bronze medal with 2201.

On the men's side, Svein Roger Olsen and Thomas Fagerstrøm (l-r) beat out bowling center proprietors and their Solli BK team mates, Petter Hansen and Sverre Lund, for the title by 94 pins. Olsen had the field-best 1379 series and Fagerstrøm contributed 1328 for 2707 pinfall total and an average of 225.58.

Like last year, Hansen/Lund settled for silver with 2613, while Frogner BK's Olav J. Olsen and Fredrik Tjernes secured the bronze with 2576.

The top 32 woman and the top 64 men from the Doubles event advanced to the Singles finals to bowl another six games on Saturday. The field was cut to the top 16 women and 32 men who bowled six more games to cut to the round robin field of 8 women and 12 men.

Seven out of eight women and 8 out of 12 men were players from the Norwegian national squad. The finalists bowled 7 and 11 games round robin match play on Sunday to cut to the top 3 for the stepladder finals.

Third-seeded Renate Jakobsen (left), who is the daughter of Helge and Liv Marie Jakobsen, both former national champions as well as national team members, ousted #2 Heidi Thorstensen, 202-170, in the semi-final and went on to beat top-seeded Patcharin Torgersen twice, 232-179 and 265-207, to claim the title.

The highlight of the championships was the men's semi-final between Team Norway captain and No. 2 seed, Petter Hansen, and defending champion and No. 3 seed, Mads Sandbækken (pictured right). Sandbækken, the reigning World Youth Masters champions and European (adult) Masters champion almost achieved perfection to shut out Hansen, 299-246.

The title match, between Sandbækken and Svein Roger Olsen (left) was a close one that was decided in the 10th frame. Olsen claimed the title with a 229-197 victory.

Jakobsen and Olsen will represent Norway in the European Champions Cup (ECC) from Oct. 20-26, 2008 at Treff Bowling in Duisburg, Germany.

The championship was also the last event of a series of tournaments to qualify for the 2008 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup. Ann Louise Haugen, who was third in 2005 in Slovenia, and Mads Sandbækken will bowl in the 44th annual edition of the prestigious event at Bol 300 in Hermosillo, Mexico (Nov. 7-15, 2008).

Photos: Sven Tore Iversen