The two-day competition in the Singles category of the European Men Bowling Championships 2023 concluded today. 178 athletes from 31 countries stood in a fight for a chance to inscribe their name among the greats in the EMC Olympus.
Almost two hundred hopes and dreams were shed to tears, as only four best bowling players advanced to the semi-finals after six qualification games.
Despite the fact that bowling lanes at the Cristal Bowling in Wittelsheim, France, were unforgivable for most participants, Denmark’s Tim Stampe took the lead with a 1449 total during the first squad of qualification. In fact, Stampe remained atop throughout all three qualification squads to secure the No. 1 seed in the semifinals.
Swede James Blomgren joined the show in the top 4 after Squad 3, scoring 1425 total during six qualification games and earning the No. 2 seed. Evangelos Krizinis of Greece made a stunning performance during Squad 2, scoring 1423 total and finishing third. Jord Van Weeren of the Netherlands earned the last spot in the semifinals, scoring 1418 total.
In the semifinals, Denmark’s Tim Stampe stood in a fight against No. 4 seed Dutch Jord Van Weeren, while Sweden's James Blomgren met Evangelos Krizinis of Greece.
Even though Tim Stampe was a favorite to go all the way to the gold winning the qualification, Jord Van Weeren had no thoughts about stepping back, especially knowing Netherlands' history in previous events.
The Dutch bowlers delivered a unique performance last year by becoming European champions in the team competition as underdogs. Surprisingly, Jord Van Weeren repeated the success of his compatriots again.
The Dutch convincingly won his one-game semifinal against Singles qualification winner Tim Stampe 247-203 and then defeated Sweden's James Blomgren 267-259 in the nail bitter final match, who previously won his semifinal against Greek Evangelos Krizinis 243-166, to win his first gold medal in the European Men Bowling Championships.
Gold medal - Jord Van Weeren (Netherlands)
Silver medal - James Blomgren (Sweden)
Bronze medal - Tim Stampe (Denmark) | Evangelos Krizinis (Greece)
Tomorrow, the doubles category begins at the Cristal Bowling in Wittelsheim, France. All championship activities will be held from the 7th to the 17th of June.
The 12 best European countries at the European Men Championships will acquire a spot in the World Bowling Championships in Kuwait. Some countries decided to opt out of the World Championships, while some others are in considerations.
