Korea captured the No. 1 seed for the Team finals at the Women's World Championships:
L-R Baek Seungja, Jung Dawun, Kim Jinsun, Jeon Eunhee, Son Hyerin and Hwang Yeonju.

 

Defending World Champions Jeon Eunhee, Son Hyerin, Kim Jinsun (replaced Hwang Yeonju in the second block), Jung Dawun and Baek Seungja of Korea averaged 224.60 for six games on the Tokyo and Los Angeles lane pattern behind games of 1081, 1098, 1068, 1094, 1183 and 1214 to capture the No. 1 seed the medal round of the five-player team event at the Women's World Championships.

Their 6738 total, including a record-tying 3491 series in the second block, led the top 4 qualifiers into the medal round starting this afternoon with the semi-finals at 2 p.m. Gulf Standard Time (GST).

The Koreans, who also reached the medal round in the previous events winning the gold in singles and trios and the silver medal in doubles, jumped from sixth to first place in the last two games on the short pattern (36 ft. Los Angeles).

Shannon Pluhowsky, Shannon O'Keefe (replaced Stefanie Johnson), Kelly Kulick, Danielle McEwan and Liz Johnson, United States led the field of 22 team heading into the last game, finished second with 6670 (222.33 average) behind a 1103 last game.

The Americans will bowl Cherie Tan, Daphne Tan (replaced Joey Yeo), Shayna Ng, New Hui Fen and Jazreel Tan of Singapore in the semi-finals. Cherie and Shayna are the only players who have made it into all four medal rounds.

The Singaporeans leaped from third to first place behind a 1246 opening game (249.20 average), the highest game of the event, but slipped back to third place with 984 and maintained this spot with 1061 for 6564 (218.80).

First-block leaders Laura Beuthner, Martina Schütz, Patricia Luoto, Nadine Geissler and Birgit Pöppler of Germany (left) averaged 209.87 on the short pattern (compared to 223.87 on long) and slipped to fourth place with 6506 (216.87). Germany will meet Korea in the other semi-final.

Rebecka Larsen, Joline Persson Planefors, Nina Flack, Victoria Johansson and Jenny Wegner of Sweden (above right) missed the medal round by 49 pins to finish in fifth place on 6457 (215.23).

Karen Marcano (pictured right) of Venezuela started the second block with twelve consecutive strikes to roll the second 300 game of this Championships (the first came by her team mate Joan Gonzalez in Doubles) and the 13th in the history of the Women's World Championships.

The last three games in the Team preliminaries also decided the medals in All-Events (combined scores in Singles, Doubles, Trios and Teams) and the top 24, who will advance to the Masters finals, which will conclude the Women's World Championships on Sunday.

Top 3 in All-Events: L-R Jeon Eunhee (3rd), Shayna Ng (2nd) and Liz Johnson (2nd). .

 

The gold medal in All-Events was decided in the very last frame. U.S. anchor bowler Liz Johnson needed three strikes in her last game to tie Shayna Ng of Singapore. Johnson got the first two and buried the third shot in the pocket but left a stone 8-pin.

Ng captured the first gold medal for Singapore with 5587 and an average of 232.79 for 24 games. Johnson took silver with 5586 (232.75). The bronze medal went to Singles champion and Doubles silver medalist Jeon Eunhee of Korea, who has a complete set of the medals before the Team finals get underway.

In the Team semi-finals the No. 1 bowls the No. 4 and the No. 2 meets No. 3. The winners bowl for gold and silver, while the losers share the bronze medals.