A day after a disappointing defeat in the doubles finals at the 2008 Women's European Championships Germany's Tina Hulsch and Patricia Schwarz rebounded Tuesday to take the lead in the trios event after three games on short oil condition.

Hulsch and Schwarz, who won bronze in the 2006 WEC trios event, teamed up with Birgit Pöppler to roll a 2076 3-game total on games of 718, 713 and 645 to lead the 39 trios from 24 countries with a 230.67 average.

L-R Pöppler, Hulsch and Schwarz.

Second place belongs to Denmark with Rikke Holm Rasmussen, Kamilla Kjeldsen and Anne Gales, who felled 2005 pins. Both trios bowled in the morning squad.

Dutch Marieke de Jong, Lisanne Breeschoten and Ghislaine van der Tol were the top trio in the afternoon squad with 1950 pinfall total, good enough for third place.

L-R Breeschoten, de Jong and van der Tol.

Rounding out the top 4 is the second trio from Germany. Tanya Petty, Michaela Göbel-Janka and Juliane Rieger toppled 1945 pins. Doubles gold medalists Nina Flack and Helèn Johnsson, who teamed with bronze medalist Therese Forsell, sit in 12th position with sub-par 1761 total, 184 pins off the top 4.

All trios will return on Wednesday for the second 3-game block on long oil. The top four trios after six games will advance to the finals on Wednesday evening. The No. 1 will bowl the No. 4 seed, while the No. 2 seed will meet No. 3 seed. The winners of the single game matches will bowl for the title. The losers will tie for bronze.