U.S. Teams Shine At Ski Racing Worlds

Scott N. Atkinson July 27, 2009

Toddhaignews

Photo: USA Water Ski Files

Todd Haig earned the silver medal in Men's Open.

All three U.S. water ski racing teams and six U.S. athletes earned medals at the 16th Water Ski Racing World Championships, July 19-26, in Viersel, Belgium. The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team, the U.S. Formula 2 Water Ski Racing Team and the U.S. Junior Water Ski Racing Team participated in the four-race biennial event that included four rounds of competition in Gent, Genk, Antwerp and Viersel.

Water ski racing athletes from nine countries competed 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 event. Men's Open and Men's Formula 2 competitors raced for 1 hour, plus 1 lap; Women's Open and Women's Formula 2 competitors raced for 45 minutes, plus 1 lap; and Junior Boys' and Junior Girls' competitors raced for 30 minutes, plus 1 lap. Final overall placements were determined from the athletes' three best rounds.

The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team won the gold medal, tallying 14,760.08 points. Australia earned the silver medal with 14,271.45 points and Great Britain earned the bronze medal with 13,198.71 points. The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team consisted of 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.). Haig, the 2005 world champion, earned the silver medal in Men's Open, winning one of four races and placing second in the other three. Wendt earned the silver medal in Women’s Open. Australia's Wayne Mawer, the 1997 world champion, won the gold medal in Men's Open, and fellow countryman Chris Stout earned the bronze medal. Frey and Anderson finished seventh and eighth, respectively. In Women's Open, Great Britain's Kim Lumley won her second career world title. Australia's Lauryn Eagle earned the bronze medal. Nordblad and Dunsmore finished fifth and seventh, respectively.


The U.S. Formula 2 Water Ski Racing Team won the gold medal, tallying 13,833.31 points. Great Britain earned the silver medal with 13,626.80 points and Australia earned the bronze medal with 11,981.50 points. The U.S. Formula 2 Water Ski Racing Team consisted of 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.). King earned the silver medal in Formula 2 Men, winning two of the four races and placing second in the other two rounds. Belgium's Steven Van Gaeveren won the gold medal and Australia's Daniel Cotton earned the bronze medal. Anderson and Hoggins finished seventh and 15th, respectively. Alternate Roy Frey (Santa Ana, Calif.) replaced Hoggins in the fourth round due to an ankle injury, and placed 17th in the final standings after finishing eighth in the race. In Formula 2 Women, Austria's Kathrin Ortlieb won the gold medal, Belgium's Christel Magdeleyns earned the silver medal and Austria’s Katharina Hebenstreit earned the bronze medal. Wallace, Threlfall, Ireland and Kinslow finished fourth, ninth, 13th and 15th, respectively.

The U.S. Junior Water Ski Racing Team earned the silver medal, tallying 11,210.16 points. Australia won the gold medal with 14,687.47 points and Belgium earned the bronze medal with 10,185.43 points. The U.S. Junior Water Ski Racing Team consisted of A.J. Herrera (Los Alamitos, Calif.), Chelbe Kinslow (Oakley, Calif.) and Trevor Wendt (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Herrera and Wendt earned the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in Junior Boys, while Kinslow earned the silver medal in Junior Girls, winning one of four races. Australia's Jack Houston won the Junior Boys' gold medal, while Belgium's Yolien Bormans and Australia's Maddison Boyer won the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in Junior Girls.

For complete results, visit http://worlds.waterskiracing.be.

Rate It

Signin to rank content.