Senior Team USA’s Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Leanne Hulsenberg, Lynda Barnes and Tish Johnson defeated Canada in best-of-three games Baker style format, two-games-to-none, while Lennie Boresch, Ron Mohr, Bob Learn Jr. and Parker Bohn III swept Mexico to capture the gold medals in the women’s and men’s team event at the World Senior Championships in Germany.

Earlier today at Dream-Bowl Palace in Unterföhring near Munich, Hulsenberg and Mohr wrapped up the titles in all-events (total pinfall in singles, double and team preliminaries). It was the first career gold medal at a World Championship for Hulsenberg, a 26-time professional champion, but the sixth gold medal for Mohr, a two-time PBA50 and PBA 60 Player of the Year, and his third in this Championships.

In the women’s finale against doubles gold medalists France Joubert and Jill Friis and their team mates Laurie Griffith and Sharon Tataryn (left), the Americans (above right) struck on six of their first attempts to put the game away well before the final frame, 235-191.

In the second game, the Americans took advantage of two splits by Joubert in the first and fifth frame, and sealed the victory with three consecutive strikes in frames 7-9, by Dorin-Ballard, Johnson and Barnes, 199-169.

Team USA rolled two big games (232-179 and 222-158) in the semi-finals to fly past Eiko Toriyabe, Yuko Miyakura, Yumiko Yoshida and Honami Yanagawa of Japan (right), 2-0.

The Canadians lost the first game in their semi-final match against 2013 WSrC team champion Sweden, 162-181, then won a low-scoring encounter in the second game, 154-145 before they defeated Susanne Olsson, Kristina Nordenson, Christel Carlsson and Lena Sulkanen (left) in the deciding third game 202-184, to advance to the gold medal match by 2-1.

It was the third gold medal for the U.S. women after the victory in singles (Barnes) and all-events (Hulsenberg). Canada took the silver medal and Sweden and Japan tied for bronze.

In the men’s finale, the PBA stars (right) threw six strikes in the first game, including a turkey in frames 3-5 and a doubles in frames 9 and 10, while Mexico’s Daniel Falconi, Jesus Gutierrez, Carlos Denot and Mario Garcia were unable to double in the whole game, to take a 1-0 lead, 212-194.

Learn and Bohn started game two with two open frames after leaving the 4-10 split and the “Big Four” (4-6-7-10). Their team mates Mohr and Boresch rebounded with a double to take a slim lead after four frames as Mexico (left) suffered the first of three opens in the third frame.

The Americans closed the game with five consecutive strikes to win the game, 212-176, and the match, 2-0.

In their semi-final match against Fred Phillips, Conn Casey, Richard Lafleur and Joe Ciach of Canada (right), the Americans came back from a 1-0 deficit, with back-to-back wins, 214-196, 239-194, to advance to the gold medal match.

The Mexicans stunned Jari Aikioniemi, Sami Luoto, Ari Halme and Teemu Raatikainen, defeating the Finns (left, with all-events bronze medalist Reija Lunden) in two games, 214-143 and 206-199.

It was the fourth gold medal for the U.S. men in as many events. Mexico earned the silver medal and Finland and Canada tied for bronze.

Action shifts to match play masters, which will conclude the World Senior Championships 2017 on Sunday. The top 24 men and women in all-events will battle it out for the medals in single-elimination best-of-three games format.

Click on the respective links to watch the action via the Internet:
All times are Central European Summer Time (CEST).

Saturday – August 19, 2017
08:30-11:30 Men’s Team event 2nd Block
11:30-12:30 Lane Maintenance
Medal Presentation for Doubles (Men & Women)
12:30-15:30 Women’s Team event 2nd Block
16:00-17:30 Team Semi-Finals and Finals (Men & Women)
17:30 Medal Presentation for All-Events (Men & Women)
18:00 Medal Presentation for Team event (Men & Women)

Bowlingdigital.com will provide onsite coverage of the event commencing Tuesday, August 15, with the singles preliminaries all the way through to the masters finals which will conclude the Championships on Sunday, August 20.

The 3rd World Senior Championships 2017 will be held from August 13-20 at Europe’s biggest bowling center, the magnificent 52-lane Dream-Bowl Palace in Munich, Germany.

Up to four men and four women per country (players must be 50 years of age or above in the year of the championship) will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in singles, doubles, four-player teams, all-events and masters in the seven-day competition.

Singles, doubles and team events include six games of qualifying before the field is narrowed to the top four who advance to the medal round. The winners of the semi-finals bowl for gold and silver, the losers share the bronze medals.

The top 3 players in all-events (combined scores in singles, doubles and team preliminaries) also earn medals. The top 24 in all-events determine the medalists in masters in best-of-three games single-elimination match play format. The top 8 receive a first-round bye.

In accordance with World Bowling Statutes and Playing Rules Chapter 4.6.2, the 2017 World Senior Championships will be contested on the 41 feet Montreal lane conditioning pattern selected from Bank 2 (formerly “medium”) patterns of the World Bowling bank of patterns.

World Bowling provides governance to international bowling and is made up of 134 bowling international federations. For more information on World Bowling, click here.

The 4th World Senior Championships will return to Las Vegas in August 2019, this time to the new South Point Bowling Plaza, which is part of the South Point Hotel and Casino.

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2017 World Senior Championships – Men’s Team Finals

Best-of-three games Baker style

Championship Round:
1. United States (Lennie Boresch, Ron Mohr, Bob Learn Jr., Parker Bohn III)
2. Mexico (Daniel Falconi, Jesus Gutierrez, Carlos Denot, Mario Garcia)
3. Finland (Jari Aikioniemi, Sami Luoto, Ari Halme, Teemu Raatikainen)
(tie) Canada (Fred Phillips, Conn Casey, Richard Lafleur, Joe Ciach)

Playoff Results:
Semifinal Match 1: No. 1 USA def. No. 4 Canada, 2-1
(187-197, 214-196, 239-194)
Semifinal Match 2: No. 3 Mexico def. No. 2 Finland, 2-0
(214-143, 206-199)
Championship Match: USA def. Mexico, 2-0
(212-194, 212-176).

2017 World Senior Championships – Women’s Team Finals

Best-of-three games Baker style

Championship Round:
1. United States (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Leanne Hulsenberg, Lynda Barnes, Tish Johnson)
2. Canada (France Joubert, Laurie Griffith, Sharon Tataryn, Jill Friis)
3. Sweden (Susanne Olsson, Kristina Nordenson, Christel Carlsson, Lena Sulkanen)
(tie) Japan (Eiko Toriyabe, Yuko Miyakura, Yumiko Yoshida, Honami Yanagawa)

Playoff Results:
Semifinal Match 1: No. 1 USA def. No. 4 Japan, 2-0
(232-179, 222-158)
Semifinal Match 2: No. 3 Canada def. No. 2 Sweden, 2-1
(162-181, 154-145, 202-184)
Championship Match: USA def. Canada, 2-0
(235-191, 199-169).