U.S. Team Earns Bronze Medal At 37th IWWF World Waterski Championships
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by Scott N. Atkinson
U.S. athlete Lauren Morgan earned the bronze medal in women's jumping. Photography by Scott N. Atkinson
The U.S. Elite Water Ski Team earned the overall team bronze medal and seven U.S. water ski athletes won individual medals in respective events at the 37th Visit Lake County Florida IWWF World Waterski Championships, presented by Guaranteed Rate, Oct. 12-17, at Jack Travers’ International Tournament Skiing and Sunset Lakes in Groveland, Fla. The United States, which was seeking to win its 28th world team title, tallied 7,706.50 points. Canada (8,195.04 points) won the gold medal for the second consecutive time and Great Britain (7,738.54 points) earned the silver medal. France (7,479.40 points) and Belarus (7,397.69 points) rounded out the top-five placements. Athletes from 33 countries participated in the tournament.
Members of the 2021 U.S. Elite Water Ski Team were: Brooke Baldwin (Winter Garden, Fla.), Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.), Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.), Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.). Lori Krueger (Martindale, Texas) was the coach and manager, and Dr. Michelle Henne (Winter Haven, Fla.) was the team physician.
Gay won the gold medal in women’s tricks, her third career world tricks title, scoring 10,440 points. Canada’s Neilly Ross earned the silver (9,880 points) and Lang earned the bronze (9,580 points).
Smith won the god medal in men’s slalom, his third career world slalom title, scoring a world championships’ record 1 buoy at 43 feet off in the finals. Italy’s Thomas Degasperi earned the silver (3 buoys at 41 feet off) and Great Britain’s Will Asher earned the bronze after an unprecedented five-way runoff for the spot. U.S. athletes Brian Detrick (Elk Grove, Calif.), Dane Mechler (Davidson, N.C.) and Jon Travers (Groveland, Fla.) finished fourth, eighth and 12th, respectively.
Krueger earned the bronze medal in men’s jumping (226 feet). Canada’s Ryan Dodd won the gold (232 feet), his fourth career world jump title. Great Britain’s Joel Poland earned the silver (228 feet). Garcia placed fifth and U.S. athlete Scot Ellis (Auburndale, Fla.) finished tied for 10th.
U.S. athlete Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), who was competing in just her second tournament since undergoing surgery in May for a torn ACL on her left knee, earned the silver medal in women’s slalom, scoring 1 buoy at 41 feet off. Canada’s Jaimee Bull won the gold, scoring a world championships’ record 2 buoys at 41 feet off. France’s Manon Costard, the defending world champion, earned the bronze (4-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off). U.S. athletes Samantha Dumala (Wellington, Fla.), Karen Truelove (Winter Garden, Fla.), Brie Carter (Loudon, Tenn.), Allie Nicholson (Gallatin, Tenn.) and Elizabeth Montavon (Lake Worth, Fla.) finished fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and tied for eighth, respectively.
U.S. athlete Lauren Morgan (St. Louis, Mo.) earned the bronze medal in women’s jumping (175 feet). Australia’s Jacinta Carroll won the gold with a world championships’ record 195 feet. It was Carroll’s fifth consecutive world jump title. Belarus’ Hanna Straltsova earned the silver (182 feet). U.S. athletes Brittany Greenwood (Little Rock, Ark.), Joy Todd-Strickland (Pierson, Fla.) and Brooke Baldwin (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed seventh, ninth and 11th, respectively.
U.S. athlete Jake Abelson (Holderness, N.H.) earned the bronze medal in men’s tricks (10,410 points). Canada’s Dorien Llewellyn won the gold (11,260 points) and Mexico’s Patricio Font earned the silver (10,830 points). U.S. athlete Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) finished eighth.
Poland won the gold medal in men’s overall, scoring a world championships’ record 2,973.55 points. Llewellyn earned the silver (2,907.62 points) and Ukraine’s Danylo Filchenko earned the bronze (2,727.20 points). U.S. athlete Blaze Grubbs (Rio Linda, Calif.) finished 13th.
Belarus’ Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya won the gold medal in women’s overall (2,573.62 points). Straltsova earned the silver (2,565.29 points) and Canada’s Paige Rini earned the bronze (2,411.64 points). Gay and Baldwin finished fifth and seventh, respectively.
For complete scores and results, visit http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/classic/21IWWF02/.
The world-record breaking Ski Nautique was the exclusive towboat of the 37th Visit Lake County Florida IWWF World Waterski Championships, presented by Guaranteed Rate. Nautique is a National Sponsor of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports.
Webcast archives can be viewed on the IWWF's YouTube channel.
To donate to the 2021 U.S. Elite Water Ski Team to help offset its expenses, click here.
For additional information on the 37th IWWF Water Ski World Championships, click here.
