Perfect finish gives Rivera world crown
September 9, 2006 | 12:00am
The Philippines’ Biboy Rivera ended a four-year drought to win the Masters gold medal in the World Men’s Championships, capping the feat with a perfect game in the fifth and deciding match for a 3-2 victory over Germany’s Achim Grabowski in the finals at Homplus Asiad Bowling Centre in Busan, Korea yesterday.
Ranked ninth, the 32-year-old Rivera chose the long oil to start the finals against the 14th seed German, winning the first match, 232-223, before pulling off a close 225-223 decision in a thrilling second match.
However, Rivera failed to complete a sweep as he struggled to find his line going down, losing the third game, 175-204. Riding on that victory, Grabowski sustained his pace and scored a 220-193 win to force the decider.
But with his favorite long oil condition, the bespectacled Filipino ace went on a strike spree, knocking down 12 consecutive strikes to score the championship’s third perfect game for the crushing victory, the Masters gold and the world champion title.
Rivera thus ended a four-year drought with the victory. His last success was winning the doubles gold medal with Chester King in the 2002 Asian Championship in Hong Kong.
The win also ended the Philippines’ 15-year medal drought in the World Championship when Paeng Nepomuceno and Paulo Valdez took the bronze medal in the 1991 Championship in Singapore.
With elimination staring him in the face, Rivera gallantly fought back to beat Finland’s Petri Mannonen, 3-2, in the quarterfinals and assure himself of a bronze medal.
After losing 168-225 and 203-233 in the short oil and long oil patterns, respectively, Rivera took the next three games 202-179 (short oil), 267-242 (long oil) and 191-181 (short oil) to emerge as the lone Asian semifinalist in the tough individual event.
Rivera, who credited acting PBC president Jaime Dychauco and American coach Stoney Brown for his spectacular showing, made the finals by knocking out fancied Jason Belmonte of Australia, 3-2, in the second semifinals while Grabowski ousted American Rhino Page, 3-1, in the first semis duel.
"I’m all set to meet Biboy when he arrives tomorrow (tonight)," said Dychauco, who headed the RP delegation to the event organized by the World Tenpin Bowling Association.
Rivera thanked Brown for honing his skills in the short oil.
"He saw that I was not playing too well in short oil during the Asian championships in Jakarta so he trained me in that particular pattern," said Rivera of the American mentor.
Rivera advanced to the quarterfinals by whipping Korea’s Choi Jong-In, 3-1 (181-199, 243-195, 215-205, 238-214).
Top-seed and winner of two gold medals, Remy Ong of Singapore defeated 16th ranked Bader Al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia, 3-0, in the first round played Thursday evening but was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Grabowski, 3-1.
Singapore emerged the overall champion with two gold medals won by Ong in the singles and all events. USA finished second with one gold, two silver and one bronze medals. Korea came in third with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Two other gold medals were won by Sweden in the doubles and Philippines in the Masters. — Dante Navarro
Ranked ninth, the 32-year-old Rivera chose the long oil to start the finals against the 14th seed German, winning the first match, 232-223, before pulling off a close 225-223 decision in a thrilling second match.
However, Rivera failed to complete a sweep as he struggled to find his line going down, losing the third game, 175-204. Riding on that victory, Grabowski sustained his pace and scored a 220-193 win to force the decider.
But with his favorite long oil condition, the bespectacled Filipino ace went on a strike spree, knocking down 12 consecutive strikes to score the championship’s third perfect game for the crushing victory, the Masters gold and the world champion title.
Rivera thus ended a four-year drought with the victory. His last success was winning the doubles gold medal with Chester King in the 2002 Asian Championship in Hong Kong.
The win also ended the Philippines’ 15-year medal drought in the World Championship when Paeng Nepomuceno and Paulo Valdez took the bronze medal in the 1991 Championship in Singapore.
With elimination staring him in the face, Rivera gallantly fought back to beat Finland’s Petri Mannonen, 3-2, in the quarterfinals and assure himself of a bronze medal.
After losing 168-225 and 203-233 in the short oil and long oil patterns, respectively, Rivera took the next three games 202-179 (short oil), 267-242 (long oil) and 191-181 (short oil) to emerge as the lone Asian semifinalist in the tough individual event.
Rivera, who credited acting PBC president Jaime Dychauco and American coach Stoney Brown for his spectacular showing, made the finals by knocking out fancied Jason Belmonte of Australia, 3-2, in the second semifinals while Grabowski ousted American Rhino Page, 3-1, in the first semis duel.
"I’m all set to meet Biboy when he arrives tomorrow (tonight)," said Dychauco, who headed the RP delegation to the event organized by the World Tenpin Bowling Association.
Rivera thanked Brown for honing his skills in the short oil.
"He saw that I was not playing too well in short oil during the Asian championships in Jakarta so he trained me in that particular pattern," said Rivera of the American mentor.
Rivera advanced to the quarterfinals by whipping Korea’s Choi Jong-In, 3-1 (181-199, 243-195, 215-205, 238-214).
Top-seed and winner of two gold medals, Remy Ong of Singapore defeated 16th ranked Bader Al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia, 3-0, in the first round played Thursday evening but was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Grabowski, 3-1.
Singapore emerged the overall champion with two gold medals won by Ong in the singles and all events. USA finished second with one gold, two silver and one bronze medals. Korea came in third with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Two other gold medals were won by Sweden in the doubles and Philippines in the Masters. — Dante Navarro
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