U.S. Athletes Win Titles At 62nd Nautique Moomba Masters
by Scott N. Atkinson
U.S. water ski athletes Anna Gay, Erika Lang and Nate Smith won titles in respective events at the 62nd Nautique Moomba Masters, March 11-13, on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia.
Gay won the women’s overall title, scoring 2,561.25 points after recording scores of ½ buoy at 38 feet off in slalom, 10,070 points in tricks and 120 feet in jump. Sasha Danisheuskaya (IWWF) finished second with 2,398.58 points and Valentina Gonzalez (Chile) placed third with 2,121.98 points.
Lang won women’s tricks, scoring 10,350 points in the finals. Canada’s Neilly Ross (9,700 points) finished second and Gay placed third (9,470 points).
Smith won men’s slalom, scoring 2 buoys at 41 feet off in the finals. Great Britain’s Freddie Winter finished second (1-1/2 buoys at 41 feet off) and Italy’s Thomas Degasperi placed third (4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off).
Other champions were: Canada’s Dorien Llewellyn, men’s tricks (11,610 points) and overall (2,964.95 points); Canada’s Whitney McClintock, women’s slalom (6 buoys at 38 feet off); Australia’s Jacinta Carroll, women’s jump (181 feet); and Canada’s Ryan Dodd, men’s jump (223 feet).
U.S. athlete Taylor Garcia placed second in men’s jump (214 feet), while Gay finished fifth in women’s slalom (1/2 buoy at 38 feet off).