Haig Second In Round 2 At Worlds

Athletes from nearly a dozen countries are competing in six divisions – Men's Open, Women's Open, Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Men's Formula 2 and Women's Formula 2 – for world titles at the biennial event, which consists of four rounds of racing (July 19, 21, 24 and 26) at four different locations – Gent, Genk, Antwerp and Viersel – in Belgium.

Men's Open and Men's Formula 2 competitors race for 1 hour, plus 1 lap; Women's Open and Women's Formula 2 competitors race for 45 minutes, plus 1 lap; and Junior Boys' and Junior Girls' competitors race for 30 minutes, plus 1 lap. Final overall placements are determined from the athletes' three best race placements.

Besides Haig, members of the 2009 U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team are: Andy Anderson (Riverside, Calif.), Lori Dunsmore (Boulder City, Nev.), Sam Frey (Santa Ana, Calif.), Todd Haig (Redlands, Calif.), Mallory Nordblad (Claremont, Calif.) and Katelin Wendt (Huntington Beach, Calif.). The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team earned the silver medal at the 2007 Water Ski Racing World Championships in Rotorua, New Zealand. The United States has won nine world team titles in the biennial event's 15 occurrences. Australia is the defending team champion.

In Tuesday's second round action, Haig, the 2005 world champion, finished 2 seconds behind Australia's Wayne Mawer – the 1997 world champion and the runner-up to Haig in last Sunday's first round race – in the Men's Open division. Australia's Chris Stout placed third. Frey and Anderson finished seventh and eighth, respectively. In Women's Open, Great Britain's Kim Lumley, the 2005 world champion, won her second race of the championships, followed by Australia's Lauryn Eagle and Cara Jochinke. Nordblad, Dunsmore and Wendt finished fourth, sixth and 11th, respectively.

In last Sunday's opening race for Men's Open in Gent, Haig edged Mawer by about 18 seconds for the victory. Bertels finished third. U.S. athletes Anderson and Frey placed seventh and 10th, respectively. In Women's Open, Lumley won by more than a minute ahead of Wendt and two minutes ahead of Nordblad. Dunsmore placed ninth.

Members of the 2009 U.S. Formula 2 Water Ski Racing Team are: Greg Anderson (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Brady Hoggins (Rialto, Calif.), Kelly Ireland (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Cameron King (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Amy Threlfall (Palmdale, Calif.), and Dawn Wallace (Belvedere Tiburon, Calif.). The U.S. Formula 2 Water Ski Racing Team won the gold medal at the 2007 Worlds.

In Tuesday's second round action, King placed first, followed by Belgium's Tim Lisens and the Netherlands' Tommy Klarenbeek. Anderson and Hoggins finished sixth and 14th, respectively. In Formula 2 Women, Austria's Kathrin Ortlieb placed first, with Wallace second and Belgium's Christel Magdeleyns finishing third. Threlfall and Ireland finished ninth and 11th, respectively.

In last Sunday's opening race for Formula 2 Men, Belgium’s Steven Van Gaeveren took the victory, followed by King and Hoggins. Anderson placed 11th. In Formula 2 Women, Ortlieb earned the victory, followed by Austria’s Katharina Hebenstreit and Magdeleyns.

Members of the 2009 U.S. Junior Water Ski Racing Team are: A.J. Herrera (Los Alamitos, Calif.), Chelbe Kinslow (Oakley, Calif.) and Trevor Wendt (Huntington Beach, Calif.). The U.S. Junior Water Ski Team earned the silver medal at the 2007 Worlds, with Australia winning the gold medal.

In Tuesday's second round action, Australia’s Jack Houston placed first, followed by Wendt and Australia’s Ben Hackett. Herrera finished fourth. In Junior Girls, Belgium’s Yolien Bormans placed first, followed by Australia’s Maddison Boyer and Sarah Teelow. Kinslow finished fourth.

In last Sunday's opening race for Junior Boys, Houston placed first, followed by Austria’s Christian Ortlieb and Great Britain’s Billy Smith. Wendt and Herrera placed sixth and eighth, respectively. In Junior Girls, Bormans placed first, followed by Kinslow and Boyer.

Randy Jarrell (Chino, Calif.) is serving as the U.S. teams' manager.

For more information on the 2009 Water Ski Racing World Championships, click here.

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