Sweden averaged over 220 in the medal round of the five-player team event to capture the coveted team gold medal at the Women’s European Championships Friday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria.

In the title match against top-seeded Germany (right), All-Events champion Jenny Wegner, doubles champions Nina Flack, Joline Persson Planefors and Ida Andersson and Sandra Andersson posted their third 1100-plus series of the day for a 1104-1019 victory to win the third gold medal for Sweden in this Championships.

Pictured above: 2016 WEC Team champion Sweden. L-R Back row: Ida Andersson, Nina Flack and Jenny Wegner; front row: Joline Persson Planefors, Sandra Andersson and Filippa Persson. Photos courtesy of Austrian and German Bowling Federation.

In the semifinals, Germany’s trios champions Birgit Pöppler, Nadine Geißler and Tina Hulsch and their team mates Patricia Luoto and Martina Schütz flew past Belgium (left), seeded fourth, with Bauke Jespers, Katrien Goossens, Melissa Vallons, Véronique Perniaux and Cindy Valckx, 1078-880, to advance to the gold medal match.

The Swedes, who rolled an 1157 set in the second block of qualifying earlier today en route to earn the No. 2 seed, had some hard work to do before defeating No. 3 Denmark (right) with Britt Brøndsted, Kamilla Kjeldsen, Mai Ginge Jensen, Anja Ginge Jensen and Rikke Holm Agerbo in a high-scoring encounter, 1107-1077.

Germany had to settle for silver, while Denmark and Belgium shared the bronze medal. It was the first medal for Belgium and the second bronze for Denmark after the trios event. Sweden and Germany (1-3-3) have medaled in all five events so far. Sweden leads the medal tally with 3 gold and 2 bronze, while Germany has the most medals (7) including 1 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze.

After the conclusion of the team preliminaries, Jenny Wegner of Sweden maintained a 58-pin lead to win the gold medal in All-Events. Wegner averaged 218.17 for 24 games to finish atop the 131-player leaderboard with 5326 total, which included series of 1268 (singles), 1307 (doubles), 1347 (trios) and 1314 (team).

Birgit Pöppler of Germany used the highest individual series in the team event (1371) to leap into second place and to earn the silver medal with 5178 (215.75). Her fellow countrywoman Nadine Geißler was further 63 pins behind to take the bronze medal with 5115 (213.13).

Action shifts to Masters match play, which will conclude the championships on Saturday. The top 24 players in All-Events qualified for the event in single-elimination best-of-three games format. Wegner, Pöppler, Geißler and the next five players receive a first round bye.

The 2016 Women’s European Championships will be held from June 10 to 18 at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria.

131 players from 25 of the 48 European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) member federations – Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales and the host country Austria – participate in the event.

Each team consists of maximum six players, who compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in Singles, Doubles, Trios, five-player Teams, All-Events and Masters in the nine-day competition.

Singles, Doubles, Trios and Team events features six games preliminaries with the top 4 advancing to the playoffs in one-game format, seeded 1 to 4 according to their position in qualifying. No. 1 bowls No. 4 and No. 2 takes on No. 3. The winners bowl for gold and silver and the losers share the bronze medals.

The top three players with the highest 24-game total (combined results of the Singles, Doubles and Team preliminaries) receive the medals in All Events.

The top 24 in All-Events advance to single-elimination Masters match play in best-of-three games format. The top 8 receive one bye.

In each round, the highest seeded player bowls the lowest seeded player, the second-highest seeded player bowls the second-lowest seeded player, and so on. Winners advance and losers will be eliminated. The remaining two players bowl for gold and silver and the losers of the semifinals share the bronze medals.

The 2016 Women’s European Championships serve as the qualifying event for female bowlers competing in the X World Games 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland. The top 5 countries with the two highest positioned players in All-Events qualify for the World Games. The bowling competition will be held July 20-24 at Sky Bowling.

The Championships also serve as the qualifier for the 2017 World Championships for men and women, to be held at Cozmo Bowling Center in Salmiya, Kuwait Dec. 4-18. The top 12 women teams in Vienna will qualify for the combined World Championships.

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2016 WEC Team event – Medal Round

Championship Round:
Sweden (Jenny Wegner, Nina Flack, Ida Andersson, Sandra Andersson, Joline Persson Planefors, Filippa Persson), 2211 (2 games)
Germany (Birgit Pöppler, Nadine Geißler, Patricia Luoto, Martina Schütz, Tina Hulsch, Laura Beuthner), 2097 (2 games)
3. Denmark (Britt Brøndsted, Kamilla Kjeldsen, Mai Ginge Jensen, Anja Ginge Jensen, Rikke Holm Agerbo, Maria Franciska Stampe), 1077 (1 game) and
Belgium (Bauke Jespers, Katrien Goossens, Melissa Vallons, Véronique Perniaux, Cindy Valckx, Linda van Kerckhove), 880 (1 game)

Playoff Results:
Semi-final Match 1:
No. 1 Germany (Geißler 201, Luoto 205, Hulsch 237, Schütz 183, Pöppler 252) def.
No. 4 Belgium (Jespers 171, Vallons 159, Perniaux 189, Valckx 193, Goossens 168), 1078-880
Semi-final Match 2:
No. 2 Sweden (I. Andersson 195, Flack 197, S. Andersson 224, Persson Planefors 235, Wegner 256) def.
No. 3 Denmark (A. Ginge Jensen 234, Kjeldsen 212, Holm Agerbo 205, Brøndsted 192, M. Ginge Jensen 234), 1107-1077
Championship:
Sweden (I. Andersson 244, Flack 205, S. Andersson 193, Persson Planefors 225, Wegner 237) def.
Germany (Geißler 215, Luoto 189, Hulsch 223, Schütz 179, Pöppler 213), 1104-1019.

2016 WEC Team Preliminaries – Final Standings

Top 4 players advance to the medal round

Squad 1 Results
Squad 2 Results

Individual High Game / High Series
1 Game: 279 – Nadine Geißler, Germany
3 Games: 734 – Bauke Jespers, Belgium
6 Games: 1347 – Birgit Pöppler, Germany

Team High Game / High Series
1 Game: 1157 – Jenny Wegner / Nina Flack / Ida Andersson / Sandra Andersson / Joline Persson Planefors, Sweden
3 Games: 3266 – Britt Brøndsted / Kamilla Kjeldsen / Mai Ginge Jensen / Anja Ginge Jensen / Rikke Holm Agerbo, Denmark
6 Games: 6394 – Birgit Pöppler / Nadine Geißler / Patricia Luoto / Martina Schütz / Tina Hulsch / Laura Beuthner, Germany

2016 WEC – All-Events (Final Standings)

Top 3 receive gold, silver and bronze medals; top 24 advance to Masters match play, top 8 receive one bye

Pos	Player	Country	Games	Singles	Doubles	Trios	Team	Pins	Avg.
1.	Jenny Wegner	Sweden	24	1268	1307	1347	1314	5236	218.17
2.	Birgit Pöppler	Germany	24	1223	1321	1263	1371	5178	215.75
3.	Nadine Gei0ler	Germany	24	1279	1243	1297	1296	5115	213.13
4.	Patricia Luoto	Germany	24	1301	1201	1299	1275	5076	211.50
5.	Britt Brøndsted	Denmark	24	1207	1234	1316	1307	5064	211.00
6.	Daria Kovalova	Ukraine	24	1317	1228	1221	1291	5057	210.71
7.	Nina Flack	Sweden	24	1245	1387	1132	1287	5051	210.46
8.	Hayley Russell	England	24	1249	1301	1275	1197	5022	209.25
9.	Filippa Persson	Sweden	24	1173	1162	1258	1406	4999	208.29
10.	Keira Reay	England	24	1296	1155	1298	1244	4993	208.04
11.	Sandra Andersson	Sweden	24	1346	1209	1160	1259	4974	207.25
12.	Mai Ginge Jensen	Denmark	24	1277	1269	1177	1248	4971	207.13
13.	Lisa John	England	24	1190	1201	1291	1278	4960	206.67
14.	Anja Ginge Jensen	Denmark	24	1103	1323	1327	1205	4958	206.58
15.	Maria Bulanova	Russia	24	1276	1212	1148	1321	4957	206.54
16.	Kamilla Kjeldsen	Denmark	24	1254	1165	1263	1262	4944	206.00
17.	Martina Schütz	Germany	24	1266	1245	1182	1223	4916	204.83
18.	Joline Persson Planefors	Sweden	24	1169	1258	1233	1233	4893	203.88
19.	Ellen Jansen	Netherlands	24	1273	1262	1142	1199	4876	203.17
20.	Piritta Maja	Finland	24	1250	1198	1176	1234	4858	202.42
21.	Tina Hulsch	Germany	24	1202	1236	1225	1194	4857	202.38
22.	Ida Andersson	Sweden	24	1184	1252	1160	1259	4855	202.29
23.	Sanna Pasanen	Finland	24	1253	1234	1140	1221	4848	202.00
24.	Laura Beuthner	Germany	24	1244	1331	1145	1127	4847	201.96
25.	Bauke Jespers	Belgium	24	1067	1139	1314	1300	4820	200.83
26.	Ghislaine Stigter-van der Tol	Netherlands	24	1143	1211	1163	1287	4804	200.17
27.	Katrien Goossens	Belgium	24	1110	1192	1219	1277	4798	199.92
28.	Olena Roshchenko	Ukraine	24	1160	1206	1244	1186	4796	199.83
29.	Solene Goron	France	24	1291	1230	1160	1113	4794	199.75
30.	Melissa Vallons	Belgium	24	1256	1262	1063	1208	4789	199.54
31.	Lauriane Celie	France	24	1192	1220	1156	1206	4774	198.92
32.	Nicole Sanders	Netherlands	24	1105	1209	1235	1218	4767	198.63
33.	Ivonne Gross	Austria	24	1155	1367	1090	1122	4734	197.25
34.	Rikke Holm Agerbo	Denmark	24	1148	1185	1172	1205	4710	196.25
35.	Hannele Impola	Finland	24	1199	1164	1246	1097	4706	196.08
36.	Danni Hopcroft	England	24	1203	1216	1129	1140	4688	195.33
37.	Tamara Adler	Austria	24	1108	1169	1178	1207	4662	194.25
38.	Amandine Jacques	France	24	1171	1182	1119	1175	4647	193.63
39.	Alexandra Lopes d´Andrade	France	24	1164	1181	1139	1132	4616	192.33
40.	Heidi Manninen	Finland	24	1158	1167	1103	1187	4615	192.29
41.	Maria Franciska Stampe	Denmark	24	1207	1114	1105	1178	4604	191.83
42.	Cindy Valckx	Belgium	24	1204	1083	1194	1107	4588	191.17
43.	Petra Eriksson-Sola	Finland	24	1144	1111	1159	1167	4581	190.88
44.	Kristína Sramková	Slovakia	24	1174	1113	1163	1113	4563	190.13
45.	Heidi Thorstensen	Norway	24	1204	1180	1110	1065	4559	189.96
46.	Mária Tóth	Hungary	24	1090	1196	1124	1141	4551	189.63
47.	Sarolta Dosztály	Hungary	24	1094	1220	1113	1119	4546	189.42
48.	Maria Koshel	Russia	24	1126	1211	1146	1060	4543	189.29
49.	Monica di Paolantonio	Italy	24	1087	1165	1176	1111	4539	189.13
50.	Emily Allen	England	24	1229	1132	1094	1078	4533	188.88
51.	Katrina Maciver	England	24	1196	1225	1060	1052	4533	188.88
52.	Cristina Más	Spain	24	1108	1179	1142	1103	4532	188.83
53.	Michaela Blazeková	Slovakia	24	1197	1227	1048	1059	4531	188.79
54.	Astros Petursdottir	Iceland	24	1123	1058	1155	1184	4520	188.33
55.	Ase Jacobsen	Norway	24	1159	1123	1166	1067	4515	188.13
56.	Helga di Benedetto	Italy	24	1177	1076	1100	1154	4507	187.79
57.	Luminita Farkas Bucin	Romania	24	1104	1005	1114	1283	4506	187.75
58.	Eliisa Hiltunen	Finland	24	1027	1339	1072	1068	4506	187.75
59.	Katerina Hejducková	Czech Republic	24	1237	1171	1021	1076	4505	187.71
60.	Jurate Palaimaite	Lithuania	24	1087	1159	1156	1090	4492	187.17
61.	Miriam L. Stivang	Norway	24	1086	1180	1076	1134	4476	186.50
62.	Lynne Fishler	Israel	24	1066	1150	1191	1061	4468	186.17
63.	Bianca Wiekeraad	Netherlands	24	1043	1128	1162	1131	4464	186.00
64.	Katrin Fjola Bragadottir	Iceland	24	1138	1107	1117	1100	4462	185.92
65.	Marina Stefanova	Bulgaria	24	1013	1129	1199	1116	4457	185.71
66.	Kelly French-Plummen	Netherlands	24	1149	1103	1129	1075	4456	185.67
67.	Mariana Meteksinova	Bulgaria	24	1108	1099	1100	1148	4455	185.63
68.	Irena Straková	Czech Republic	24	1028	1170	1173	1079	4450	185.42
69.	Dagny Edda Thorisdottir	Iceland	24	1100	1128	1160	1059	4447	185.29
70.	Petra Stanková	Slovakia	24	1157	1127	1038	1112	4434	184.75
71.	Simone Boonstra	Netherlands	24	1092	1109	1112	1119	4432	184.67
72.	Yifat Tal	Israel	24	1126	1134	1112	1060	4432	184.67
73.	Giada di Martino	Italy	24	1062	1130	1039	1195	4426	184.42
74.	Wendy Bartaire	France	24	1130	1064	1082	1141	4417	184.04
75.	Melania Rossi	Italy	24	1170	1073	1050	1120	4413	183.88
76.	Serafina Liuzzi	Italy	24	1125	1085	1102	1097	4409	183.71
77.	Viktória Morcz	Hungary	24	1126	1160	1139	972	4397	183.21
78.	Natalia Rayzman	Ukraine	24	1109	1184	1010	1089	4392	183.00
79.	Jaqueline Witura	Austria	24	1075	1042	1041	1228	4386	182.75
80.	Adile Michajlow	Turkey	24	1017	1135	1119	1107	4378	182.42
81.	Pamela Frioni	Italy	24	1097	1108	1129	1037	4371	182.13
82.	Véronique Perniaux	Belgium	24	1072	1058	1091	1133	4354	181.42
83.	Gokce Cinar	Turkey	24	1094	1138	1019	1058	4309	179.54
84.	Louise Roberts	Wales	24	1049	1161	1015	1070	4295	178.96
85.	Victoria Krivolutskaya	Slovenia	24	1074	1071	1116	1033	4294	178.92
86.	Jana Karlíková	Slovakia	24	1047	995	1075	1170	4287	178.63
87.	Irina Timosenkova	Wales	24	1088	1015	1053	1122	4278	178.25
88.	Petra Otec-Hanzlovská	Czech Republic	24	1100	1104	1037	1033	4274	178.08
89.	Lynne Walker	Wales	24	1051	1044	1117	1061	4273	178.04
90.	Teresa Oberkersch	Austria	24	1080	1133	954	1101	4268	177.83
91.	Patricia Klug	Austria	24	1012	1018	1103	1128	4261	177.54
92.	Hicran Erol	Turkey	24	1056	1165	1073	966	4260	177.50
93.	Liliia Kononenko	Ukraine	24	1094	1049	1070	1044	4257	177.38
94.	Natasha English	Wales	24	1047	1061	1059	1064	4231	176.29
95.	Ibolya Karaman	Romania	24	1018	1094	1074	1043	4229	176.21
96.	Ezgi Gumus	Turkey	24	1099	1052	1012	1043	4206	175.25
97.	Laura Piros	Romania	24	989	1139	998	1073	4199	174.96
98.	Gabriela Urbistazu	Spain	24	1093	1077	1011	1004	4185	174.38
99.	Nataliya Shcherbinina	Ukraine	24	1001	1116	1013	1050	4180	174.17
100.	Geanina Dumitrascu	Romania	24	947	1055	1203	969	4174	173.92
101.	Dana Hanusova	Czech Republic	24	946	1088	1045	1088	4167	173.63
102.	Janja Kovacic	Slovenia	24	1056	1069	971	1069	4165	173.54
103.	Jutta Pilecky	Austria	24	1023	1095	1058	986	4162	173.42
104.	Leta Anuziene	Lithuania	24	1119	1206	977	855	4157	173.21
105.	Kristína Koseková	Slovakia	24	1001	1082	1091	978	4152	173.00
106.	Ruta Ryliskiene	Lithuania	24	1020	1098	931	1077	4126	171.92
107.	Oleksandra Levchuk	Ukraine	24	1106	951	1078	983	4118	171.58
108.	Hafdis Pala Jonasdottir	Iceland	24	1062	1006	1033	1003	4104	171.00
109.	Ebony Owen	Wales	24	998	1036	1055	1013	4102	170.92
110.	Nóra Szabó	Hungary	24	1019	1081	922	1078	4100	170.83
111.	Sara del Olmo	Spain	24	915	1049	1111	1015	4090	170.42
112.	Petra Dologová	Czech Republic	24	1029	1053	1072	933	4087	170.29
113.	Carolina Muñoz	Spain	24	1138	1050	990	907	4085	170.21
114.	Vanesa Garcia	Spain	24	1029	1106	970	975	4080	170.00
115.	Natasa Pirc Musar	Slovenia	24	977	1056	1024	1022	4079	169.96
116.	Rethi Hajnalka	Romania	24	960	1108	1017	966	4051	168.79
117.	Eva Burianová	Czech Republic	24	995	1004	1043	1008	4050	168.75
118.	Linda van Kerckhove	Belgium	24	971	1053	923	1061	4008	167.00
119.	Bergthora Ros Olafsdottir	Iceland	24	965	1117	946	959	3987	166.13
120.	Èva Hegedüs	Hungary	24	930	1020	1076	959	3985	166.04
121.	Piril Asar	Turkey	24	931	963	1024	1058	3976	165.67
122.	Kata Kühne	Hungary	24	1035	1014	997	916	3962	165.08
123.	Linda Hronn Magnusdottir	Iceland	24	933	1017	925	1059	3934	163.92
124.	Jolanta Kontvainiene	Lithuania	24	1027	1032	997	842	3898	162.42
125.	Elhan Sevgi Binici	Turkey	24	1018	893	1051	920	3882	161.75
126.	Kelly Jones	Wales	24	920	940	984	1029	3873	161.38
127.	Daiva Seleniene	Lithuania	24	1015	950	917	980	3862	160.92
128.	Irina Punga	Romania	24	942	1007	998	910	3857	160.71
129.	Beáta Valigurová	Slovakia	24	947	1001	891	999	3838	159.92
130.	Tanja Zalokar	Slovenia	24	867	1044	925	872	3708	154.50
131.	Anna-Belle Jean	France	18	1116	1109	1047	0	3272	181.78