2007 Greece

Aviv Alfital (l.) from Israel swept Svein Ake Ek (r.), Norway, two-games-to-none, to end the 20th European Youth Championships with victory in the Boys Masters. The Israeli won the first game, 191-173, and the second, 223-215. Gyorgy Bodis from Hungary and Alexey Vasilenko, Russia, shared the bronze medal.

Bianca Wiekeraad (l.) from the Netherlands defeated Viktoria Johansson (r.), Sweden, 2-0, to win the Girls Masters title in the 20th European Youth Championships at Strike Bowling Club in Thessaloniki, Greece. Johansson earnes the silver medal, while Rebecka Larsen, Sweden, and Carolin Witvrouwen, Belgium, shared the bronze medal.

Tony Ranta, the anchor player from Finland, earned the gold medal in the in All Events with 4055 pinfall total from the Doubles, Trios and Team events and an average of 225.28. Ranta broke the old record set by Dane Thomas Larsen in 2005 by 223 pins. Ben Fishler from Israel beat out last year's runner-up Svein Ake Ek from Norway for the silver medal by one pin, 3983 to 3982.

Strike Bowling Club in Thessaloniki, Greece was a madhouse as fans were singing, dancing hugging each other. Greece has won a sensational gold medal in the Boys Team event at 20th European Youth Championships.  Starting the day in fifth position with 2994 (-6) after three games, George Venetis, Michael Michas, George Stefanidis, Nikos Michas and Vangelis Krizinis fired games of 1064, 1105 and 996 to win the first medal ever in a European Youth Championship with 6159 pinfall total and an average of 205.40.

Janin Ribguth (right) from Germany, who set an outstanding EYC record over six games with 1443, a 240.50 average, earned the gold medal in All Events with 3922 pinfall total from the Doubles, Trios and Team events and an average of 217.89. Hayley White (center), England, earned her second consecutive All Events silver medal with 3904 (216.89). Ribguth's team mate Tina Hulsch (left) beat out Lisanne Breeschoten, Netherlands, for the bronze medal by seven pins, 3852 to 3845.

The Girls from the Netherlands (left, +216) cruised to victory in the Team event at the 20th European Youth Championships. Germany (126) secured the silver medal. Sweden (+87) beat out England (+34) for the bronze medal in a 10th-frame-showdown by 53 pins. Roni Aharonovits from Israel rolled the first 300 by a girl in the 20-year-history of the EYC in one of the booster teams. 

Team Germany powered its way into the lead in the Boys Team event in the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. The Germans rolled games of 1142, 1074 and 936 to lead the field of 24 countries with 3152 pinfall total and an average of 210.13. Squad One leaders Finland and Sweden are in second and third with 3063 and 2996, resp. 

Mikko Hirvonen, Perttu Jussila, Mikael Tuomisalo, Juuso Tiainen and Tony Ranta from Finland rolled games of 1088, 975 and 1000 to lead Squad 1/2 in the Boys Trios event at the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece with 3063 pinfall total and an average of 204.20. Sweden fired a 1089 final game to jump into second place with 2996, with Israel in third at 2986.

The Dutch Meisjes (girls) set two championship records en route to take the lead in the five-player Team event at halftime in the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. Lisanne Breeschoten, Bianca Wiekeraad, Mandy Meka, Kelly Plummen and Carmen Haandrikman finished with 1158 for 3226 pinfall total, an average of 215.07.

There were no changes atop the leaderboard in the third and final squad of the Boys Trios event at the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. Kim Ojala, Johan Sörensen and Johan Hellden won the first gold medal for Sweden with a record-setting performance. Italy earned the silver medal and England took the bronze.

L-R Johan Sörensen, Kim Ojala and Johan Hellden from Sweden, who led the field after the first three-game block, had games of 685, 593 and 692 to take the lead in the Boys Trios event in the 20th European Youth Championships with 3943 pinfall total breaking the EYC record for six games by two pins. Italy is second with 3843 and England is third, 3796. The competition will conclude with Squad 3 scheduled for 9.00 pm local time (GM plus 2 hours).

Daniele Tomatis, Tommaso Radi and Augusto Formisano set the pace in the Boys Trios event at the European Youth Championships in Greece. The Italians, who also led the first of three squads after the first block with 1930 (640, 652, 638) rolled games of 643, 635 and 635 for 1913 and a 3843, an average of 213.50. With two more squads to go, England and Israel are in second and third.

Starting the day in fourth position, 141 pins off the pace for the gold medal in the Girls Trios event, Carmen Haandrikman, Kelly Plummen and Lisanne Breeschoten from the Netherlands fired games of 617, 694 and 687 and 1998 for three games, a new EYC record, to rocket to the top of the leaderboard and to win the gold medal with 3794 pinfall total. Israel won the silver medal and Germany took the bronze.

Overnight leader Israel continued to set the pace in the Girls Trios event during the second three-game block Wednesday morning at the 20th European Youth Championships. Mor Aviram, Mor Dayan and Liat Vizenfeld (l-r with coach Lea Cohen) added a three-game set of 1820 to yesterday's 1937 score to lead the field with 3757 total. Their closest competitor in Squad 2, Germany, needs 1869 to win the gold medal.

Carl Magnus Pettersen, Ole Jorgen Arntsen and Simen Jensen (l-r with coach Ulf Hämnäs) and  from Norway led the third and final squad in the Boys Trios event at the 20th European Youth Championships with 1893 pins, an average of 210,33, to move into fourth place in the overall standings. Johan Sörensen, Kim Ojala and Johan Hellden from Sweden lead the field with 1987. Italy (Daniele Tomatis, Augusto Formisano, Tommaso Radi) is second 1930 and England (Matt Miller, Andrew Jones, Matt Chamberlain) third, 1913.

Defending champion Sweden overtook the lead in the Boys Trios event at the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. Johan Sörensen, Kim Ojala and Johan Hellden rolled games of 705, 598 and 684 to move to the top of the leaderboard after two of three squad with 1987 pinfall total and an average of 220.87. The picture shows Ojala, Sörensen and Hellden (l-r) with coach Stefan Yngström in the back.

Daniele Tomatis, Tommaso Radi and Augusto Formisano (pictured from l-r with coach Salvatore Lanzalame, far left) took the early lead in Squad 1/3 in the Boys Trios event after the first three-game block in the 20th European Youth Championships. The Italians showed consistency with games of 640, 652 and 638 to lead the sixteen trios field with 1930 pinfall total and an average of 214.44.

Ben Fishler and Aviv Alfital (l-r) from Israel captured the first gold medal in the Boys Division at the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece, with 2608 pinfall total. Perttu Jussila and Tony Ranta, Finland earned the silver medal with 2548. Cian Cloake and Keith O'Reilly, Ireland, took bronze with 2528.

The trios from Germany (pictured left) and England led the second Squad in the Girls Trios event at the 20th European Youth Championships. Both duos, however, failed to overtake Squad 1 leader, Mor Aviram, Mor Dayan and Liat Vizenfeld, Israel, who lead the field of 31 trios at halftime with 1937 (215.22). Janin Ribguth (second from right) widened her lead in All Events behind a 691 series. 

When Aviv Alfital and Ben Fishler (l-r) got up for their sixth and final game, the two Israelis had already 156 pins over a 200 average and needed a 393 series to overtake Perttu Jussila and Tony Ranta from Finland, who led since the first squad with 2548. Alfital fired a 238 and Fishler added 214 to move to the top of the leaderboard with 2608 pinfall total and an average of 217.33.