1:06 AM Tue 28 Jul 2009 GMT
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'Wayne Mawer, Australia’s #1 Formula I ski racer, on his way to winning the World Water Ski Race championships in Belgium.'
Ski Racing Australia
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Cairns ski racer Wayne Mawer has claimed the Formula 1 Men's world title after a controversial finish to the 16th World Water Ski Racing championships in Belgium.
Skiing behind the Force 21 rig 'Tru Blu', Mark Cranny at the wheel and Damien Matthews observing, Mawer and America's Todd Haig fought a 'tooth and nail' battle over the four rounds of the championships.
Haig won the opening round, but Mawer quickly came to terms with the challenging canal conditions after his second placing and went on to edge Haig into second spot in the final three rounds.
Judges sat until 1am following the final race; apparently Haig's boat crew mistook the finish line and after passing the chequered flag to indicate a finish turned and set out on another lap.
This prevented 'Tru Blu' and Mawer crossing the line and the United States crew was penalised and Mawer was crowned World Champion.
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Australia's #1 ski racer, Wayne Mawer, sports the colours in the parade to open the 16th World Water Ski Racing championships -
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In further good news for Australia's F1 team, Sydney's Chris Stout behind 'No Mercy' skied consistently to claim third place.
Sadly, Australia's other top F1 skier, Peter Procter was forced to withdraw from competition after sustaining damaged ribs when he fell in round one.
The Australian team also lost Trudi Stout, the 2007 Junior Girls World champion, this year contesting F2 Women, when she sustained knee damage and was unable to compete.
In Junior Boys it was Australia all the way as Sydney youngster Jack Houston, son of veteran competitor (and Jack's boat driver) Greg Houston.
With another veteran in Kevin Boylan observing, Houston's boat 'Stinga' dominated the championships with four wins from four starts.
Houston's great rival on the Australian ski racing circuit, Ben Hackett, skiing behind Mawer's boat and crew, was only just off the pace to finish fourth.
Americans AJ Herrera and Trevor Wendt claimed second and third in Junior Boys.
Great Britain's Kim Lumley, who has dominated F1 Women ski racing in recent events, started as favourite and showed her class to take out the world title with four wins straight.
Australia's Lauryn Eagle took third, only a 'whisper' behind second-placed American Katelin Wendt.
Cara Jochinke (4th) and Bethany Pledger (8th) were Australia's other representatives in F1 Women.
European girls dominated F2 Women, the gold medal going to Austria's Kathrin Ortleib, silver to Christel Magdeleyns, of Belgium with another Australian, Katharina Hebenstreit taking the bronze.
Kylee Jones gave her best for Australia with a determined sixth place with Melissa Tidswell 12th after completing only two rounds.
Australia's F2 Men's skier Daniel Cotton, up behind 'Tuff E Nuff', Brent Wisemantel driving, Andrew Fyfe observing, gave a good account of himself with a well-earned bronze medal.
The title went to Belgium's Steven Van Gaeveren with USA's Cameron King taking the silver medal.
There was plenty of close racing in Junior Girls with Belgium's Yolien Bormans making the most of local knowledge to take the gold medal from America's Chelbe Kinslow with Australia's Maddison Boyer third just ahead of team mate Sarah Teelow.
Overall, despite failing to register a victory, the USA has emerged as the most successful team; The USA was named top team in Formula 1, from Australia and Great Britain.
In Formula 2, the USA again claimed top spot, this time with Great Britain taking the silver and Australia the bronze.
Australia was a clear cut winner at Junior level with a convincing win over the USA with Belgium third.
The full team results were;
Formula 1: USA 1, Australia 2, Great Britain 3, Belgium 4, The Netherlands 5, Austria 6, Spain 7, New Zealand and Germany equal last.
Formula 2: USA 1, Great Britain 2, Australia 3, Belgium 4, Austria 5, The Netherlands 6, Spain 7, Germany 8, New Zealand 9.
Juniors; Australia 1, USA 2, Belgium 3, Great Britain 4, Austria 5, The Netherlands 6, New Zealand 7, Spain 8.
by Bob Wonders
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Macquarie Island, TAS
