U.S. women shoot World Championship record to take the top seed in the Team finals

    08/28/13

    2013 World Championships

    Semifinals feature USA vs. Venezuela and Malaysia vs. Korea matches; Shannon O'Keefe (USA) claims gold in All-Events, Son Yun-Hee (KOR) takes silver and Diana Zavjalova (LAT) gets bronze

    2013WCWomensTeamUSA2.jpg2013WCShannonOKeefe.jpgThe U.S women's team (pictured left) posted a new championship record for three games en route to earn the No. 1 seed for the medal round of the five-player team event Wednesday evening at the World Championships in the Las Vegas area.

    Joining the defending champion in the semifinals on Thursday are Malaysia, Korea and Venezuela.

    Team USA's Shannon O'Keefe (right) claimed the gold medal in in All Events with Korea's Son Yun-Hee taking silver and Diana Zavjalova of Latvia getting bronze.

    O'Keefe and her team mates Stefanie Nation, Missy Parkin (replaced Shannon Pluhowsky), Kelly Kulick and Liz Johnson had some work to do on the 39-feet Seoul lane conditioning pattern after finishing yesterday three-game block on short oil in eighth place, 90 pins off the pace for the top 4.

    2013WomenTeamUSA1262.jpgThe U.S. team started with a 1074 game, followed by 1191 to sit in third place heading into the last game. Nation (220), Parkin (240), O'Keefe (269), Kulick (266) and Johnson (231) closed out with 1226 for a 3491 (232.73 average), the highest three-game series in WTBA history to best the previous championship record by 58 pins (3433 by Korea in 2011).

    The five some flew past Malaysia and Venezuela, who led the field of 35 countries heading into the final game, en route to earn the No. 1 seed for the medal round with 6439 total and an average of 214.63. In each match of the finals, the higher seeded team has the right to decide the oil pattern.

    2013WCWomensTeamMAS.jpgO'Keefe led the team with 753, immediately followed by Kulick and Parkin with 743 and 714, while Nation and Johnson added 659 and 622, respectively.

    Siti Safiyah, Jacqueline Sijore, Esther Cheah, Shalin Zulkifli and Sin Li Jane (right with substitute Zandra Aziela), who leaped from third to first place behind games of 1147 and 1089, hit 1000 on the nose in the last game to secure second place with 6277 (209.23). 2011 World Champion in Singles Sijore led the team today with 715.

    2013WCWomensTeamKOR.jpgOvernight leader Korea slipped to fourth place after games of 1086 and 967 and was suddenly in danger to miss the cut to the top four teams. Ryu Seo-Yeon, Lee Na-Young, Kim Moon-Jeong, Jung Da-Wun (replaced Baek Seung-Ja) and Son Yun-Hee (left) rebounded with 1053 but missed the second place by 15 pins to settle for third place with 6262 (208.73).

    The Venezuelan women, who maintained their second position after five games, opened five times in frames four to six, while Germany, Sweden, Singapore and Colombia were catching up fast.

    2013WCWomensTeamVEN.jpgAll five players, Patricia De Faria, Esther Francys Alvarez (replaced Eny Diaz), Joan Gonzalez, Karen Marcano and Alicia Marcano (right) had to mark in the last frame to beat Germany by a whisker.

    2013WCWomensTeamGER.jpgAlvarez struck three times and the other four got a mark which gave a Venezuelans a 19-pin buffer over Germany en route to take the No. 4 seed for the finals with 6211 (207.03).

    2013WCWomensTeamSWE.jpgGermany (left) had to settle for fifth place with 6192 and was followed by Sweden (right) in sixth place with 6183 and Singapore in seventh place with 6169. Colombia closed out with 1176 to finish in eighth place with 6122.

    The decision for the gold, silver and bronze medals in All-Events (combined qualifying results in Singles, Doubles, Trios and Team) was even more exciting as the top eight players were within 41 pins heading into the last game.

    2013WCShannonOKeefe2.jpg2013WCShannonOKeefe3.jpgMalaysia's Sin Li Jane led the field of 212 women after 23 games with 4981 and was followed by Singles and Trios World Champion Ryu Seo-Yeo and Chinese Taipei spinner Wang Ya-Ting with 4974 and 4964.

    Sin Li (174), Ryu (187) and Wang (166) finished with sub-par games to open the door for their rivals. Shannon O'Keefe (left and right after the results were confirmed) finished with a huge 269 game to rocket from 8th to first place to claim the medal with 5209 and an average of 217.04 for 24 games.

    It is the fifth gold medal in a World Championship for O'Keefe, whose collection is almost complete after winning gold in Singles (2007), Trios and Team (2011) and Doubles (2013). The only gold medal missing is the gold medal in Masters. As the All-Events total will be carried forward into the Masters, O'Keefe is leading in this event.

    2013ChoYoungSeonSonYunHee.jpgSon Yun-Hee (pictured left with husband Cho Young-Seon, who won silver in Men's All-Events), who had a chance to strike out for 278, suffered a big split in the ninth frame which sealed her fate. Three strikes in the 10th frame for 244 propelled her from seventh into second place to earn the silver with 5189 (216.21).

    2013WCWomenAllEventsMedalists.jpgDiana Zavjalova rolled a solid 212 game to leap one spot into third place to earn the bronze medal with 5166 (215.25) and to finish as the top European bowler. L-R Son, O'Keefe and Zavjalova.

    The top 24 players advanced to the Masters finals on Thursday and Friday. Thirteen of the 36 countries will be represented in the finals: Korea (5), United States (3), Chinese Taipei (2), Japan (2), Malaysia (2), Singapore (2), Venezuela (2), Canada (1), Denmark (1), England (1), Latvia (1), Netherlands (1), Philippines (1).

    2013WCKarenMarcanoAliciaMarcano.jpgThe Marcano sisters, Karen and Alicia (l-r), took the last two spots with 5010 (208.75) and 5006 208.58), resp.

    The top 24 men and the top 24 women in All-Events will return on Thursday morning for the first round of the Masters competition. The Masters will be played on dual lane conditions with the left lane dressed with the longer oil-pattern and the right lane dressed with the shorter oil-pattern.

    All 24 players will bowl six games with the All-Events total carried forward. The top 8 after 24 games advance to seven games of round robin match play Thursday afternoon, where 20 bonus points are awarded for a won match and 10 bonus points for a tied match.

    The top four players with the highest 37-game total including bonus points will play two semi-finals on Friday morning; the No. 1 meets No. 4 and No. 2 bowls No. 3. The winners advance to the gold medal match to determine the Masters champion. All matches will be decided in one game.

    The men's and women's Team semifinals will take place on Thursday evening following the Masters round robin. The 2013 combined adult World Championships will conclude Friday, Aug. 30, with the women's and men's Team finals.

    Bowlingdigital's Photo Album

    2013WCLogo.jpg The World Tenpin Bowling Association World Championships run from Aug. 16 thru 31, 2013 at Sunset Station's Strike Zone in Henderson, Nev. in the Las Vegas area. The Championships will award medals in six disciplines - Singles, Doubles, Trios, Team, All Events and Masters.

    The entire competition will be broadcast live on BOWL.com's BowlTV. Bowling fans will be able to watch live and on demand for free. The schedule is available at BOWL.com/LiveStream.

     


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    Women's Team event - Qualifying Round 2 (long oil)





    Women's Team event - Standings after Qualifying


    The top four teams after six games (first block on short oil, second block on long oil) will advance to the Medal Round

     


    Women's All Events - Final Standings after 24 games


    The top three earn the gold, silver and bronze medal; the top 24 advance to the Masters finals

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