Bowling competitions, especially European Championships, are typically filled with loud cheers, shouts, and energetic player celebrations. However, this particular event stood out for its peaceful atmosphere, where only the sound of balls hitting pins could be heard, with most communication happening through international sign language.
The 12th European Deaf Bowling Championships has come to a close in Wemmel, Belgium. Over the course of the event, 125 athletes from 19 different countries competed, showcasing their skills in an atmosphere of calm focus.
The competition followed the same rules as classic bowling, but with adaptations to ensure fair play for deaf participants. For example, competitors who use hearing aids were required to remove them, ensuring everyone competes on equal footing. All announcements and rules were displayed on screens, and flags were used to signal game transitions.
The European Deaf Bowling Championships 2024 began with the Singles event. In the Men's division, Ukraine's Vladyslav Ialovega secured gold by defeating France's Ludovic Bartout 185-181. Bronze medals went to Germany's Daniel Duda and Simon Wildenhayn.
In the Women's division, Germany's Sabrina Forsyth claimed gold after defeating Ukraine's Kateryna Kovalchuk 181-136, with bronze medals awarded to France's Noémie Raynaud and Ukraine's Anzhelika Zhukova.
The Men's Doubles event saw an all-German final, where Daniel Duda and Simon Wildenhayn triumphed over their compatriots Matthew Forsyth and Kevin Lindemann 434-393 to win gold. Belgium's Christophe Bartholome and Paul Simons, along with France's Ludovic Bartout and Frédéric Delsol, received bronze medals.
In the Women's division, France's Noémie Raynaud and Aurélie Scellier defeated Ukraine's Anzhelika Zhukova and Kateryna Kovalchuk 356-315 for gold, with bronze medals going to Ukraine's Viktoriia Semizenko and Alla Diachenko, and Sweden's Emma Sätterlund and Mairi Shadabi.
In the trios event, France's Frédéric Delsol, Charles Pelican, and Ludovic Bartout earned gold in the Men's division, defeating Denmark's Pierre Bocquet, Thomas Helstrand, and Oliver Kristensen 594-528. Bronze medals went to Ukraine's Nazar Didorenko, Vladyslav Ialovega, and Sergiy Trubin, as well as Germany's Matthew Forsyth, Simon Wildenhayn, and Kevin Lindemann.
In the Women's division, Ukraine's Alla Diachenko, Yelyzaveta Korzh, and Viktoriia Semizenko took gold after overcoming Germany's Melanie Klinke, Sabrina Forsyth, and Tina Linz 573-550. Bronze medals were awarded to the Czech Republic's Pavla Cerná, Katerína Klofácová, and Pavlina Malérová, along with Ukraine's Anzhelika Zhukova, Kateryna Kovalchuk, and Iana Prychyna.
In the Men's Teams event, Ukraine won gold by defeating Germany 997-938, with Belgium and the Netherlands earning bronze. In the Women's Teams event, Ukraine clinched another gold by defeating Poland 845-827, with the Czech Republic and Germany taking bronze medals.
In the Men's Masters event, France's Frédéric Delsol triumphed over Germany's Simon Wildenhayn 2-1 to win gold.
In the Women's Masters event, Ukraine's Kateryna Kovalchuk defeated Poland's Magdalena Palacz 2-1, securing Ukraine's fourth gold medal.
Ukraine dominated the overall medal tally with 10 medals, followed by Germany with 9 and France with 5.
