CHINESE TAIPEI WINS TRIOS GOLD AT
WORLD WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS

Four years ago, the bowlers from Chinese Taipei and their unique bowling style made headlines at the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championships, and they were back in the spotlight after winning the trios gold medal at Cashman Center recently.

The Chinese Taipei team included two spinners, bowlers who bring their fingers all the way around the top of the ball, as opposed to the side of the ball like most traditional bowlers in the United States. That strategy proved to be effective once again as they defeated Team USA, 660-602, in the championship match.

"We are very, very excited right now," said Chinese Taipei coach John I-Tsun Chiang. "We have two spinners, and in recent years, the spinners haven't had much luck in international competition, so we are glad we were able to do well. We have tried very hard to train these girls and promote spinners to the whole world, and this is a nice reward."

Spinners typically use 11-pound balls and send the ball straight down the lane, regardless of the lane conditions. The ball rotates similar to helicopter blades, giving it the nickname the "helicopter release." When the ball hits, it mixes the pins in a way not usually seen.

The lane condition for the final, the tournament's medium pattern (WTBA Athens, 40 feet), was selected by the United States, the top seed after six qualifying games.

"We couldn't have bowled any better, and we made a great run today," said Team USA's Liz Johnson. "Our choice to go with the medium pattern was a good one, but we got outbowled. We worked really hard all day and worked well together. We just came up short."

Tsai Hsin-Yi led Chinese Taipei to the win with a 225 game and was followed by Yang Hao-Ting (223) and non-spinner Tang Ya-Chun (212). Johnson led the way for Team USA with a 232 game and was joined by singles gold medalist Stefanie Nation (190) and first-time World Championships participant Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (180).


On the way to the final, Team USA rolled the third-highest trios score in tournament history and knocked off No. 4 Japan (Maki Nakano, Nao Ohishi and Ayano Katai), 742-659. The highest trios set at the World Women's Championships is 758, shot by Malaysia in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2007.

Chinese Taipei, which won trios, team and all-events gold medals at the 2005 event in Aalborg, Denmark, entered the second day of trios competition in sixth place overall. The team gained the necessary momentum Friday morning and qualified second behind Team USA.

Chinese Taipei then defeated Denmark (Kamilla Kjeldsen, Anne Gales and Rikke Rasmussen) in the semifinals, 610-605.

Representatives from 39 countries rolled six qualifying games in trios over two days before the field was cut to the top four teams for the semifinals. Team USA's Lynda Barnes, Kim Terrell-Kearney and Wendy Macpherson finished 21st with 3,615.

This year's tournament marks the first time professionals are allowed to compete at the World Women's Championships, and competitors will compete in singles, doubles, trios, team and Masters competition before the event concludes Sunday. Medals also will be awarded for all-events.

Through 18 games, Colombia's Clara Guerrero is the all-events leader with 3,946. Sweden's Helen Johnsson is second with 3,928, Rasmussen is third with 3,909 and Nation is fourth with 3,901. Team USA's Johnson is ninth with 3,827, and Dorin-Ballard is 16th with 3,783.

After 24 games, the top 16 players in the all-events standings will advance to Masters competition, which is scheduled for Sunday morning.

Competition continues Saturday with the team event. Teams will bowl two three-game blocks before the field is cut to the top four. Semifinal and final action kicks off at 9:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on bowl.com.

Malaysia is the defending team champion and the United States is looking to avenge back-to-back runner-up finishes.

For more information on the WTBA World Women's Championships, visit 2009wwc.com.

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2009 WTBA WORLD WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
(at Cashman Center, Las Vegas)
Thursday's Results

TRIOS
Gold medal: Chinese Taipei (Yang Hao-Ting, Tsai Hsin-Yi, Tang Ya-Chun)
Silver medal: United States (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Liz Johnson, Stefanie Nation)
Bronze medal: Denmark (Ann Gales, Kamilla Kjeldsen, Rikke Rasmussen) and Japan (Ayano Katai, Maki Nakano, Nao Ohishi)

Semifinals
(1) United States def. (4) Japan, 742-659
(2) Chinese Taipei def. (3) Denmark, 610-605

Final
(2) Chinese Taipei def. (1) United States, 660-602

(Qualifying; top four after six games advanced to semifinals)

1, United States (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Liz Johnson, Stefanie Nation), 3,858
2, Chinese Taipei (Yang Hao-Ting, Tsai Hsin-Yi, Tang Ya-Chun), 3,798
3, Denmark (Ann Gales, Kamilla Kjeldsen, Rikke Rasmussen), 3,785
4, Japan (Ayano Katai, Maki Nakano, Nao Ohishi), 3,767
5, Denmark (Britt Brondsted, Anja Ginge Jensen, Mai Ginge Jensen), 3,765
6, Colombia (Paola Gomez, Clara Guerrero, Rocio Restrepo), 3,752
7, Indonesia (Putty Armein, Sharon Limansantoso, Tannya Rouminper), 3,747
8, Finland (Piritta Kantola, Krista Pollanen, Mari Santonen), 3,739
T9, Chinese Taipei (Chein Hsiu-Lan, Li Shiau-Ping, Pan Yu-Fen), 3,735
T9, Sweden (Nina Flack, Helen Johnsson, Veronica Lantto), 3,735

ALL-EVENTS
(18 games; top 16 after 24 games advance to Masters)

1, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 3,946
2, Helen Johnsson, Sweden, 3,928
3, Rikke Rasmussen, Denmark, 3,909
4, Stefanie Nation, United States, 3,901
5, Britt Brondsted, Denmark, 3,872
6, Putty Armein, Indonesia, 3,871
7, Hwang Sun-Ok, Korea, 3,853
8, Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 3,844
9, Liz Johnson, United States, 3,827
10, Son Yun-Hee, Korea, 3,817