Finland targets to defend Trios title at 2007 Men's European Championships

Jari Ratia from Finland shot the first 300 game of the 2007 Men's European Championships this morning at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria, to help his team mates, southpaws Joonas Jehkinen and Kimmo Lehtonen, grab the lead in the Trios event. L-R Coach Sami Konsteri, Jehkinen, Ratia and Lehtonen.

The three-some set two championship records for one and three games as the started with an 803 games en route to a 2167 three-game total on the short-oil condition (35 feet), an average of 240,78 per game.

Ratia (pictured right), who failed to defend his doubles title, started with 289 and 205 and closed out the set with twelve strikes for 794 pinfall total and an average of 264.67. Jehkinen, a newcomer on the Finnish national team added 695 and veteran Kimmo Lehtonen, who won the Trios title in 2005 together with Lasse Lintilä and Petteri Salonen, contributed 678.

Trailing the Finns by 182 pins or more than 20 pins per game, was Sweden with Magnus Andersson, Tobias Karlsson and Dennis Eklund. The trio had games of 709, 671 and 605 for 1985 pinfall total and an average of 220.56.

Third place belonged to Norwegians Lasse Ingebrigtsen, Per Kristian Eide and Glenn Morten Pedersen, who checked in with 1980 (220.00) behind games of 707, 657 and 616. England with Jon Zadel, Mark Smith and European ranking champion Paul Moor were fourth at 1930 (214.44).

Squads 2 and 3 will bowl their short-oil block today at 12.30 and 4 p.m. All players will return on Friday for the second 3-game block on long oil (45 feet). The gold, silver and bronze medalists will be determined Friday evening starting at 7.30 p.m. in a one-game match play finals of the top 4 teams.