WATER SKIING: U.S. Junior Water Ski Team Wins Gold Medal at Junior World Championships

(POLK CITY, Fla.) - The U.S. Junior Water Ski Team won the gold medal and three U.S. water ski athletes earned individual medals at the 12th Junior Water Ski World Championships, Jan. 7-11, at the Bujama Lacus Lakes in Lima, Peru. The United States tallied 8.053.97 points at the biennial event. Defending champion France earned the silver medal, scoring 7,801.4 points, and Australia earned the bronze medal with 6,673.16 points.

Athletes and teams from 22 countries competed in the five-day event as the world team title and world individual titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall were at stake.

Members of the U.S. Junior Water Ski Team were: Caroline Hensley (Hixson, Tenn.), John Lex Kenerly (Jesup, Ga.), Lauren Morgan (Odessa, Fla.) and Zack Worden (Deltona, Fla.). Leif Abel (Hickory, N.C.) and Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) competed as U.S. independents. Brenda Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.), Jim Grew (Winter Haven, Fla.) and Dr. Brad Harman (Cleburne, Texas) served as coach, captain and physician, respectively. All U.S. athletes advanced to the finals in at least one event, and all four U.S. Junior Water Ski Team members contributed to the gold-medal winning point total. It is the first time since 2002 that the United States has won the world team title.

Hensley won two gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal. She won the gold medal in overall, tallying 2,810.19 points. France's Manon Costard earned the silver medal in overall with 2,573.57 points and France's Iris Cambray earned the bronze medal with 2,569.70 points. Morgan placed fifth with 2,249.79 points. Hensley also won the gold medal in slalom following a run-off against France's Ambre Franc. After both athletes tied with 2 buoys at 38 feet off, Hensley scored 4-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off to Franc's 4 buoys at 35 feet off to clinch the title. In the preliminary round earlier in the week, Hensley tied the women's junior world slalom record with a score of 3 buoys at 38 feet off to earn the top seed for the finals. New Zealand's Stacey Gilbert earned the bronze medal with a score of 3-1/4 buoys at 35 feet off. Morgan placed sixth with 2 buoys at 35 feet off. Hensley tallied 6,410 points to earn the silver medal in tricks. Cambray won the gold medal, scoring 7,500 points and Italy's Silvia Caruso earned the bronze medal with 6,140 points. A bronze medalist in jumping at the 2006 Junior Worlds, Hensley earned another bronze medal this year with a jump of 138 feet (42.2 meters). Costard won the gold medal, leaping 142 feet (43.2 meters), while Australia's Jacinta Carroll earned the bronze medal with a jump of 141 feet (42.9 feet). Morgan placed fourth with a 138-foot (42.2 meters) effort.

Worden won a gold medal and a silver medal. He successfully defended his world jumping title from the 2006 Junior Worlds, leaping a Junior Worlds' record of 190 feet (58.0 meters). The Czech Republic's Martin Kolman (170 feet/51.8 meters) earned the silver medal and Mexico's Sandro Ambrosi (169 feet/51.6 meters) earned the bronze medal. Abel (160 feet/48.7 meters) placed ninth. Worden earned the silver medal in men's overall, tallying 2,617.20 points. Kolman won the gold medal in overall, tallying 2,639.80 points and Great Britain's Earl James earned the bronze medal with 2,322.48 points. Kenerly placed 10th with 2,016.71 points.

Pickos, a bronze medalist in men's tricks at the 2006 Junior Worlds, tallied 8,740 points to earn the silver medal this year. Kolman won the gold medal, scoring 8,930 points. France's Theo Fernandez earned the bronze medal with 8,260 points. Kenerly (7,260 points) and Worden (7,000 points) placed fifth and ninth, respectively/

Men's slalom was the only event that a U.S, athlete failed to earn a medal. France's Sacha Descuns won the gold medal, scoring 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off. Mexico's Sandro Ambrosi earned the silver medal, scoring 3 buoys at 38 feet off, and France's Thomas Niola earned the bronze medal with 2 buoys at 38 feet off. Worden placed fifth with 1-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off.

For complete results of the 12th Junior Water Ski World Championships, visit www.USAWATERSKI.org.

USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Water Ski Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing in the United States.

Author: Scott Atkinson
Organization: USA Water Ski
Phone: 863-324-4341 ext. 122