Korea sweeps singles at 2014 World Youth Championships
August 09, 2014
HONG KONG - Korea swept the singles gold medals at the 2014 World Youth Championships as Choi Woo Sub and Yang Su Jin ended the week's first discipline on the top step of the medal stand Saturday at the South China Athletic Association Bowling Center.
Choi defeated Junior Team USA's Wesley Low of Palmdale, California, 226-214, while Yang topped Japan's Shion Izumune, 237-208.
The left-handed Choi started the gold-medal match with four consecutive strikes and built a 23-pin lead that proved to be enough to hold off Low, a World Youth Championships first-timer, who is a two-hander and also attacks the lanes from the left side.
"I knew I needed a big game to even get into the semifinals, and I was able to get enough to take the lead without even knowing it," said Low, who finished his six-game qualifying block with a 264 game and 1,431 total, a 238.5 average. "We're very focused on the team event this week, but this really helps my confidence. To do this well against the best youth bowlers in the world means a lot, and it's a great start to the week."
In the semifinal matches, Low threw a clutch strike in his final frame and went on to shut out Sweden's Jesper Svensson, escaping with a 225-223 victory, while Choi cruised to a 217-176 win against hometown favorite Michael Mak of Hong Kong.
On the girls side, Yang advanced to the championship match with a 236-208 victory against Japan's Kana Shimoide, and Izumune downed Sweden's Jenny Wegner, 173-167, in dramatic fashion when Wegner missed a 6-10 combination in the final frame.
Svensson, Mak, Shimoide and Wegner all earned bronze medals for the efforts.
All players bowled six qualifying games on the 35-foot Beijing lane condition, the short pattern this week, before the field was cut to the top four for the semifinals.
The field includes 262 bowlers from 46 countries, competing in singles, doubles, team, all-events and match-play Masters. Competition continues Sunday with the first day of doubles qualifying on the 45-foot Mexico City oil pattern.
Bowling fans from around the globe can watch the competition live on BOWL.com's BowlTV thanks to a partnership between the United States Bowling Congress and the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress.
For complete information on the World Youth Championships, visit WYC2014.com. The complete live-streaming schedule (all times Eastern) can be found at BOWL.com/LiveStream.
2014 WORLD BOWLING YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
At SCAA Bowling Center, Hong Kong
Saturday's results
GIRLS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Yang Su Jin, Korea, def. Shion Izumune, Japan, 237-208
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Yang def. Kana Shimoide, Japan, 236-208
Izumune def. Jenny Wegner, Sweden, 173-167
BOYS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Choi Woo Sub, Korea, def. Wesley Low, United States, 226-214
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Low def. Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 225-223
Choi def. Michael Mak, 217-176
Choi defeated Junior Team USA's Wesley Low of Palmdale, California, 226-214, while Yang topped Japan's Shion Izumune, 237-208.
The left-handed Choi started the gold-medal match with four consecutive strikes and built a 23-pin lead that proved to be enough to hold off Low, a World Youth Championships first-timer, who is a two-hander and also attacks the lanes from the left side.
"I knew I needed a big game to even get into the semifinals, and I was able to get enough to take the lead without even knowing it," said Low, who finished his six-game qualifying block with a 264 game and 1,431 total, a 238.5 average. "We're very focused on the team event this week, but this really helps my confidence. To do this well against the best youth bowlers in the world means a lot, and it's a great start to the week."In the semifinal matches, Low threw a clutch strike in his final frame and went on to shut out Sweden's Jesper Svensson, escaping with a 225-223 victory, while Choi cruised to a 217-176 win against hometown favorite Michael Mak of Hong Kong.
On the girls side, Yang advanced to the championship match with a 236-208 victory against Japan's Kana Shimoide, and Izumune downed Sweden's Jenny Wegner, 173-167, in dramatic fashion when Wegner missed a 6-10 combination in the final frame.
Svensson, Mak, Shimoide and Wegner all earned bronze medals for the efforts.
All players bowled six qualifying games on the 35-foot Beijing lane condition, the short pattern this week, before the field was cut to the top four for the semifinals.
The field includes 262 bowlers from 46 countries, competing in singles, doubles, team, all-events and match-play Masters. Competition continues Sunday with the first day of doubles qualifying on the 45-foot Mexico City oil pattern.
Bowling fans from around the globe can watch the competition live on BOWL.com's BowlTV thanks to a partnership between the United States Bowling Congress and the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress.
For complete information on the World Youth Championships, visit WYC2014.com. The complete live-streaming schedule (all times Eastern) can be found at BOWL.com/LiveStream.
2014 WORLD BOWLING YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
At SCAA Bowling Center, Hong Kong
Saturday's results
GIRLS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Yang Su Jin, Korea, def. Shion Izumune, Japan, 237-208
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Yang def. Kana Shimoide, Japan, 236-208
Izumune def. Jenny Wegner, Sweden, 173-167
BOYS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Choi Woo Sub, Korea, def. Wesley Low, United States, 226-214
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Low def. Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 225-223
Choi def. Michael Mak, 217-176