Finns Pöntinen, Pöllänen lead WEC Doubles preliminaries after the first block

    06/09/12

    2012 WEC

    Pöllänen shoots 1420 on medium oil to take the early lead in All Events

    2012WECMarjoPontinenKristaPollanen.jpgThe 2012 Women's European Championships got underway with the Doubles preliminaries Friday at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands. The teams from 27 countries were divided into four squads to bowl the first six-game block on the medium lane conditioning pattern.

    The top 4 teams with the highest 12-game total after the second block on the long pattern will advance to the finals on Sunday, June 10.

    Finns Marjo Pöntinen and Krista Pöllänen (pictured left, l-r) led the high-scoring fourth squad on Saturday morning en route to lead the record 75 doubles with 2717 total and an average of 226.42. Pöllänen led the team with the field-best 1420 series (236.67) to take the early lead in All Events.

    2012WECRebeckaLarsenSandraAndersson.jpgThe reigning World Games and European Champions Cup winner had games of 236, 223, 218, 267, 239 and 237. Pöntinen contributed 1297. The duo had games of 411, 476, 449, 514, 466 and 401 to beat out overnight leader Sweden for the top spot by 34 pins.

    Sandra Andersson and Rebecka Larsen (right, r-l), who led Squad 3 on Friday evening, slipped to second place with 2683 and an average of 223.58. Larsen led the way with 1372 (228.67) including a 278 game, the highest game thus far in the championships, good for third in All Events. Andersson, who currently leads the European Bowling Tour point ranking, added 1311 (218.50).

    2012WECBiancaWiekeraadWendyKok.jpgAnother two teams of the fourth squad moved into the top 4. Patricia Luoto and Birgit Pöppler of Germany finished 55 pins behind the Finns to overtake third place with 2662 (221.83). Pöppler had 1356 and Luoto 1306.

    England's Hayley White and Lisa John were mere three pins behind to take fourth place with 2659. White totaled 1336 and John toppled 1323 pins.

    Wendy Kok and Bianca Wiekeraad (left, r-l) of the host country Netherlands, who were second after the first three squads, slipped to fifth place with 2644 (220.33).

    2012WECIdaAnderssonJolinePerssonPlanefors.jpgFalling to sixth place were Joline Persson-Planefors and Ida Andersson (right, r-l) of Sweden, who led the opening squad on Friday morning with 2642 (220.17). Persson-Planefors, the 2011 EBT point ranking leader, sits in second place in All Events with 1414, an average of 235.67 for six games.

    Britt Brøndsted and Anja Ginge Jensen of Denmark, members of the 2010 WEC gold medal five-player team, fell to seventh with 2591 and an average of 215.92.

    Squad 1 and 2 will bowl their second block on long oil on Saturday afternoon and evening. Squad 3 and 4 will conclude the preliminaries on Sunday followed by the one-game semifinals (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3) and finals.

    2012WECLogo.jpg The 2012 Women's European Championships will be held from June 6 through 17 at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands.

    Record 153 players from 27 out of 49 European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) member federations - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Catalonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and the host country Netherlands - participate in the event.

    Each team consisted of maximum six players, who competed for gold, silver and bronze medals in Doubles (12 games), Trios (6), Teams (6), All Events (24-game total) and Masters (top 24 in All Events, single-elimination, best-of-three games).

    The ETBF Technical Delegate and Kegel, the official lane maintenance partner of ETBF, have decided the two oil patterns which will be used during the 2012 Women European Championships. The medium pattern is 38 feet long while the long pattern has a length of 44 feet.

    For more information please download the 2012 WEC Bulletin (PDF file).

     


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