Nine medal haul for Australia at World Youth Championships
There was a silver lining for Australia on finals day at the World Youth Championships; however late call up Billy Johnson bagged Australia’s only gold. It wasn’t quite the golden finish to the World Youth Championships the Australian contingent was hoping for despite the day starting in style for the young Jackaroos.
The coveted singles trophies will head overseas with the Australian finalist unable to fight off the rampage from their international raiders.
Not enough can be said to describe the quality of the men’s singles final between Australia’s newest Jackaroos Squad member Corey Wedlock and recent PBA Pairs finalist from Wales Daniel Salmon.
It was fitting that the only two men in the competition with an unblemished record met in the decider and what a display of bowls they put on for all at Broadbeach.
The pair went blow for blow, hardly a draw shot outside two feet and pin point accuracy with their conversions, but in the end it was Daniel Salmon who will return to Wales a World Champion after a near perfect performance in today’s final.
It was a case of close not quite being enough on this occasion for Australia’s defending Women’s World Youth Singles Champion Ellen Ryan who was just one shot shy of a winning back-to-back titles.
Standing in her way was Canada’s Pricilla Westlake who has enjoyed a meteoric rise in World Bowls over the past 18 months, making the semi-final of last year’s World Cup at Warilla, selection in the Canadian World Bowls Team at the end of 2016 in Christchurch and now a World Youth Singles title to kick start 2017.
Westlake had already proven she was a player on a mission here at these Championships, defeating Australia’s Chloe Stewart in the semi-final earlier today, 21-16 and New Zealand Blackjack Tayla Bruce in the quarter-final yesterday.
Ellen Ryan may have relinquished her singles and pairs titles but the Australian Jackaroo has still picked up a silver and bronze medal, teaming up with fellow Defending Champion Aaron Teys in the mixed pairs.
Australia’s eleventh hour entrant, NSW/ACT NTC Squad member Billy Johnson has enjoyed a dream finish to his World Youth Championships debut after teaming up with Malta’s Connie Rixon to claim gold in the Mixed Pairs.
Whilst the afternoon had a silver lining for the Australian contingent, Billy Johnson starred for Australia in the first final of the day.
Rixon, a resident of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, was also competing in her first World event and combined brilliantly with Johnson to take down the Scottish combination of Claire Walker and John Fleming in a quality final encounter.
What is even more remarkable is the history created; Connie Rixon has etched her name into the history books as the first athlete, of any sport, to win a world title for Malta.
Australian Team Results-
Ellen Ryan (Cabramatta, NSW)- Singles silver, mixed pairs bronze
Kristina Krstic (Manning Memorial, WA)- Singles bronze, mixed pairs bronze
Chloe Stewart (Broadbeach, QLD)- Singles bronze
Tiffany Brodie (Fitzroy, VIC)- Singles quarter-finalist
Aaron Teys (Warilla, NSW)- Singles bronze, mixed pairs bronze
Corey Wedlock (Cabramatta, NSW)- Singles silver
Nathan Pedersen (Ascot Park, SA)- Singles bronze, mixed pairs bronze
Billy Johnson (Cabramatta, NSW)- Mixed pairs gold
Caption- Australia claim one gold, two silver and six bronze medals at the World Youth Championships.
