Bowling's Dream Team selected for World Men's Championships
June 25, 2010
ARLINGTON, Texas - The latest version of bowling's Dream Team has been picked to represent the United States at the 2010 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Men's Championships as Team USA looks to win its third consecutive team gold medal.
Selected to compete for Team USA are Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour stars Chris Barnes, Wes Malott, Bill O'Neill, Tommy Jones, Rhino Page and Patrick Allen. The World Men's Championships is scheduled to take place Aug. 12-21 at Dream Bowl Palace in Munich, Germany.
"Making these selections is always difficult because we have such a talented pool of players to choose from," Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. "The coaching staff feels strongly that the players who have been selected will represent our country proudly."
The United States won the coveted five-player team gold medal with a team of amateur bowlers in 2006 in Busan, South Korea. After a change in WTBA legislation that allowed professional bowlers to compete, the United States sent a team of five pros and one amateur and defended the title at the most recent World Championships in 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Team USA's victory in 2008 did not come easy, however. The Americans took on Korea in the one-game finals and the teams finished tied at 1,084, forcing a roll-off. Page defeated Korea's Kim Tae-Young, 49-39, in the one-player, ninth-and-10th frame roll-off to win the title.
In total, Team USA came away with four gold medals in 2008. The Americans won doubles (Page and Allen), while Walter Ray Williams Jr. won gold in singles and Masters. Williams is unavailable to compete in the 2010 World Championships.
Four of the players who competed in Bangkok will be back to help the United States defend its team title. Barnes, Jones, Page and Allen will be joined by first-time World Championships competitors O'Neill and Malott.
The 2010 WTBA World Men's Championships will feature 377 competitors from 68 countries competing for medals in six events - five-player team, trios, doubles, singles, all-events and Masters match play.
Selected to compete for Team USA are Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour stars Chris Barnes, Wes Malott, Bill O'Neill, Tommy Jones, Rhino Page and Patrick Allen. The World Men's Championships is scheduled to take place Aug. 12-21 at Dream Bowl Palace in Munich, Germany.
"Making these selections is always difficult because we have such a talented pool of players to choose from," Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. "The coaching staff feels strongly that the players who have been selected will represent our country proudly."
The United States won the coveted five-player team gold medal with a team of amateur bowlers in 2006 in Busan, South Korea. After a change in WTBA legislation that allowed professional bowlers to compete, the United States sent a team of five pros and one amateur and defended the title at the most recent World Championships in 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Team USA's victory in 2008 did not come easy, however. The Americans took on Korea in the one-game finals and the teams finished tied at 1,084, forcing a roll-off. Page defeated Korea's Kim Tae-Young, 49-39, in the one-player, ninth-and-10th frame roll-off to win the title.
In total, Team USA came away with four gold medals in 2008. The Americans won doubles (Page and Allen), while Walter Ray Williams Jr. won gold in singles and Masters. Williams is unavailable to compete in the 2010 World Championships.
Four of the players who competed in Bangkok will be back to help the United States defend its team title. Barnes, Jones, Page and Allen will be joined by first-time World Championships competitors O'Neill and Malott.
The 2010 WTBA World Men's Championships will feature 377 competitors from 68 countries competing for medals in six events - five-player team, trios, doubles, singles, all-events and Masters match play.