Hwang Sun-Ok, Jeon Eun-Hee and Singles silver medalist Son Yun-Hee of Korea (pictured left) posted games of 739, 642 and 718 to lead the final squad of the Trios event at the Women's World Championships with 2099 total and an average of 233.22.

The Koreans moved into second place in the overall standings of 53 Trios after the first block of three games on medium oil Wednesday at 48-lane Hong Kong Bowling City in Hong Kong, China.

Squad 1 leader Natsuki Sasaki, Haruka Matsuda and Kanako Ishimine of Japan (pictured right) held onto the lead with record 2109 pinfall total or an average of 234.33.

Denmark's Kamilla Kjeldsen, Rikke Holm Agerbo and Mai Ginge Jensen slipped one spot to third place with 2065.

Trailing the Koreans by 69 pins in Squad 2 to move into fourth place overall were Aussie Lexi Nicoll, Ann-Maree Putney and Narelle Baker, who toppled 2030 pins, an average of 225.56.

With 15 out of 24 games in the books, Mai Ginge Jensen (left) widened her lead in All Events 187 pins with 3710 total and an average of 247.33. Caroline Lagrange (right), Canada, who rolled the second perfecto of the championships in Squad 1 is a distant second with 3523.

Team USA's Kelly Kulick and Shannon Pluhowsky sit in third and fourth place, both with 3512. Son Yun-Hee is the best Korean bowler in fifth place with 3502. Mai's sister Anja Ginge Jensen is sixth with 3468.

The 171 players from 33 countries were split into two squads to bowl six games preliminaries - the first three-game block on medium oil and the second three-game block on long oil. The top 4 trios will advance to the finals.

Squads 1 bowled Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Squad 2 followed at 1 p.m. Hong Kong time. On Thursday Squad 2 will start at 9 a.m. and Squad 1 will bowl at 1 p.m. The semifinals start at 4.30 p.m. with the championship match to follow immediately afterwards.

World Champions in the 2009 Team event, Hwang Sun-Ok, Jeon Eun-Hee, and Son Yun-Hee averaged 246.33 in the first game to set the pace in Squad 2 with 739. Son had 258, Hwang 257 and Jeon 224 to lead Denmark (right) by two pins.

Anja Ginge Jensen rolled a big 278 game and Britt Brøndsted and Sascha Wedel added 236 and 223, respectively, for 737.

Australia (left) with Lexi Nicoll, twp-time World Champion Ann-Maree Putney and Narelle Baker were third with 698 with Finland featuring Mari Nurmilo, Hannele Impola and Nina Manninen in fourth at 673.

Fifth place belonged to Colombia (right) with Paola Gomez, Rocio Restrepo and two-time defending World Champion Clara Juliana Guerrero (All Events and Masters) at 664.

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Liz Johnson and Kelly Kulick of the United States (left) chalked up 659 to sit in sixth place. Next was Indonesia with Puteri Astari, Ivana Hie and Sharon Limansantoso with 646 and Daphne Tan, Geraldine Ng and Cherie Tan of Singapore (right) with 643.

Rounding out the top 10 were France with Amandine Jacques, Isabelle Derynck and Valerie Murat (642) and Chinese Taipei with Hung An-Tzu, Wang Ya-Ting and Pan Yu-Fen (637).

The three Aussies rolled games between 231 and 236 in game two for 702 to overtake the lead after two games in the final squad with 1400 and an average of 233.33. Korea slipped to second place with 1381.

The Colombians had the highest second game of 705 - Gomez (227), Restrepo (230) and Guerrero (248) to leap two spots into third place with 1360. The Danes fell to fourth place with 1355 behind a 618 game and Finland slipped one spot to fifth with 1319.

Team USA was five pins behind the Finns in sixth place with 1314 followed by Vanessa Timter, Janine Ribguth and Juliane Rieger from Germany (left), who added 650 to the 633 in game one for 1289.

Lisanne Breeschoten, Bianca Wiekeraad and Wendy Kok of The Netherlands (right) moved into eighth place with 1287 behind games of 607 and 680. France remained in ninth place with 1285 and Mexico Gabriela Hernández, Verónica Hernández and Sayuri Yamada overtook tenth place with 1273 (598, 675).

The Koreans regained the lead in Squad 2 thanks to 718 final game for 2099 three-game total and an average of 233.22. Jeon had 268 and was followed by Hwang with 236 and Son with 214.

The Koreans moved into second place in the overall Trios standings after the first block on medium oil trailing leader Japan (2109) by just ten pins.

Australia was 69 pins behind the Koreans to finish Squad 2 in second place with 2030 including a 630 final game. Denmark finished with 655 in third place with 2010. The United States were fourth with 2004 and Colombia fifth with 1989.

With another three games to go, Australia is fourth, while USA, Denmark and Colombia sit in sixth through eighth place among the 53 trios.

The 171 players from 33 countries are done for today and will return on Thursday morning (Squad 2) and afternoon (Squad 1) for the second three-game block on long oil.

Stay tuned ……. "TAH"!

The fourth Women's World Championships takes place at bowling center Hong Kong Bowling City in Hong Kong, China, from Sept. 1 through 11, 2011.

171 of the best women bowlers in the world featuring 33 countries compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in Singles, Doubles, Trios, five-player Team event, All Events and Masters in the nine-day event.

The WTBA patterns "Seoul" and "Paris" will be used in Hong Kong. The 39-feet Seoul pattern is the second-shortest of the four "medium" WTBA certified lane patterns. With a length of 47 feet, Paris is the longest of all 12 certified patterns.

Singles was played on "Paris" and Doubles will be contested on "Seoul", while Trios and Team will feature both oil patterns (3 games on each pattern). Masters match play will be staged on dual lane condition (one lane dressed with the Seoul pattern and the other lane dressed with the Paris pattern).

The top four players and teams after six games in Singles, Doubles, Trios and Team, respectively, will advance to the semifinals. The No. 1 meet No. 4 and No. 2 takes on No. 3. The winners will determine the World Champion, while the losers will share the bronze medal. All matches are single-game matches.

Bowlingdigital will cover the 2011 Women's World Championships live from Hong Kong with stories and results after each squad and each round of the finals.

Bowling fans around the world will be able to watch all qualifying rounds, semifinals and finals live on BOWL.com and the coverage will be available on demand as well. Pictured left are commentators Jason Overstreet (l.) and Lucas Wiseman (r.) at work.

The live streaming coverage is a partnership between USBC, WTBA, the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress and Bowlingdigital.com. The live streaming schedule is identical with the tournament schedule.

 

Related Articles

Japan sets new record for three games to take early lead in Trios event
Team USA's Pluhowsky, Johnson claim Doubles title at Women's World Championships
Denmark's Kjeldsen, Jensen shoot big numbers to earn No. 2 seed for the Doubles finals
Team USA's Dorin-Ballard, Kulick set three records on the way to the Doubles lead
Team USA's Pluhowsky, Johnson take the lead in Doubles after the first Squad
Jacqueline Sijore starts 2011 Women's World Championships with victory in Singles
Shayna Ng smashes six-game record to earn the No. 1 seed for the Singles finals
Sijore, Jensen move into second and third place in Singles at Women's World Championships
Korea's Son Yun-Hee sets two Championship records to take the early lead in Singles
Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs declares open the 2011 Women's World Championships
Live Coverage, Live Streaming of the 2011 Women's World Championships
Team rosters completed for Women's World Championships
Bahamas, Moldova, Puerto Rico withdraw from Women's World Championships
Organizing committee announces Schedule of Events for Women's World Championships
Team rosters are out for the Women's World Championships in Hong Kong
36 countries/territories to participate in 2011 Women's World Championships in Hong Kong
HKTBC releases final Bulletin No. 3 for the 2011 WTBA Women's World Championships
Team USA roster announced for Hong Kong Women's World Championships
WTBA to hold Symposium on Anti-Doping and Sport Science Support in Hong Kong
40 countries have intended to participate in the 2011 Women's World Championships
WTBA Congress 2011 scheduled for September 12 and 14 in Hong Kong
Bulletin No. 2 for the 2011 WTBA Women's World Championships in Hong Kong released
Israel announces teams for Munich MEC and Hong Kong WWC
Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress releases Bulletin No. 1 for the 2011 WTBA Women's World Championships