The 2023 World Championships are approaching the midway point as Canada looks to advance to the medal rounds in Women’s Singles, Women’s Fours, and Men’s Triples. The five men and five women representing Canada include:
| Women’s Singles: | Kelly McKerihen (Toronto, ON) |
| Women’s Fours: | Jordan Kos (Regina, SK), Emma Boyd (Delta, BC), Baylee van Steijn (Gore’s Landing), Joanna Cooper (Calgary, AB) |
| Men’s Pairs: | Ryan Bester (Hanover, ON), John Bezear (Kitchener, ON) |
| Men’s Triples: | Cameron Lefresne (Enfield, NS), Rob Law (Winnipeg, MB), Owen Kirby (Kitchener, ON) |
Singles
Kelly McKerihen went undefeated in her group, with an impressive 9-0 record after the round robin. She started the event with victories over Malta (21-5), India (21-13) and Jersey (21-5) the first day, followed by victories over Namibia (21-2), South Africa (21-13) and Norfolk Island (21-7) the second day. On Day 3, she took down Guernsey (21-17), Fiji (21-14) and Turkiye (21-1) to clinch her way to the quarterfinals.
Pairs
Bester and Bezear also went undefeated in the round robin with a record of 6-0-2. On Day 1, the duo beat Japan (32-9) and Namibia (24-16). On Day 2, the Canadians defeated Netherlands (29-7), Turkiye (32-6) and tied New Zealand (16-16). On the final day, Bester and Bezear defeated Thailand (18-13), tied England (17-17), and defeated Fiji (14-11) to finish the round robin. With the best record in their group, the Canadians will face India in the quarterfinals, who finished with a record of 7-1 in their group.
Triples
Lefresne, Law, and Kirby split both opening days going 1-1 in each: they won their first game against Norfolk Island (30-9), followed by a narrow loss to Singapore (17-18); Day 2 started with a loss to Israel (12-17) before taking down Thailand (16-13). On Day 3, the men defeated Namibia (23-16), followed by an impressive upset win over England (15-9), before losing their final match to Jersey (12-20). With a final record of 4-3, the Canucks finished 3rd in their group, missing out on the quarterfinals by one game.
Fours
Cooper, van Steijn, Boyd, and Kos started off 2-0 with victories over Norfolk Island (21-8) and India (18-11). Their 3rd match was live streamed against host nation Australia, where the women narrowly lost (10-12) against the hometown favourites. The women rebounded on Day 2 with victories over Ireland (17-14) and Botswana (22-5), and rounded out Day 3 with a victory over USA (17-13) to finish with a record of 5-1. The quartet will advance to the quarterfinals against Scotland, who finished with a 5-2 record in Section 4.
Quarterfinal matches will begin August 31 at 6:30pm EDT.
For schedules and results, click here: https://world2023.bowls.com.au/event-info/schedule/
For more information, please contact Jake Schuknecht at jschuknecht@bowlscanada.com.
About Bowls Canada Boulingrin
Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) is the governing body responsible for lawn bowls in Canada. The BCB mission is to advance the sport of bowls in Canada. For more details on Bowls Canada Boulingrin and the sport of lawn bowls, visit www.bowlscanada.com.
About 2023 World Bowls Championships
The 2023 World Bowls Championships will take place on the Gold Coast, Queensland from August 29 – September 10. The event will be held at the Broadbeach Bowls Club, Musgrave Hill Bowls Club, Club Helensvale, Mudgeeraba Bowls Club and Paradise Point Bowls Club. The World Bowls Championships are held every two years, and feature men’s and women’s singles, pairs, triples, and fours.