COMPETE AT PACKED JAKABARING SPORTS COMPLEX

 ALL RESULTS BELOW

This was the 37^th World Cup Stop in the series of the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF). Hot on the heels of last month’s World Cup Stop in Mandurah, Western Australia, it was another thriller. Young new rising stars and a host of seasoned winners were cheered till sunset at this exotic location situated almost on the Equator. It was certainly a hot one !

The events involved were Wakeboard, Jump and Shortboard.

In Wakeboard, now under consideration for the 2020 Olympic Games, the two biggest international stars wowed the thousands of spectators once again. Eighteen-year-old Harley Clifford AUS has a global fan base. Today he added thousands more here in Indonesia. He has already taken two major titles this year – gold medal at Melbourne’s Moomba Masters and gold medal again at the World Cup Stop in Mandurah Western Australia. While Japan’s Shota Tezuka dominated the field with a score of 81.02, as the last into the arena, Clifford responded with a perfect 93.33. That is domination at it’s best. Andrew Adkison USA took third place.

Secondly, Raimi Merrit USA, was on a mission. As the current Wakeboard World and World Cup Champion, she suffered a recent defeat to Australia’s Bec Gange at the previous World Cup Stop. However, aided by a new training regimen, today she was flawless and her score of 70.24 was enough to beat both Gange and Nicola Butler GBR who also joined her on the Palembang Podium.

In Women’s Shortboard, weather intervened. The otherwise excellent 33C / 96Fh conditions suddenly turned to a brief Tropical storm at a point where World Record Holder Clementine Lucine FRA had the lead with 8840 points. Just as the seventeen-year-old sensation, Erika Lang from Arizona USA, was about to enter the water, we all dived for cover. The storm passed but Lang was certainly knocked off her stride and never really settled when she finally got to compete. Sadly, she missed a Podium place this time but Lucine was thrilled to be back in winning form once again. Iris Cambray FRA and Alex Lauretano USA took second and third places.

Men’s Shortboard managed to miss that weather front. Three athletes scored over the rare 10,000 point mark. Herman Beliakou BLR actually beat the current World Record Holder Aliaksei Zharnasek from the same country at the recent Mandurah World Cup Stop. Zharnasek got his revenge today with one of the best performances we have seen for some time. His score of 11,270 points was one thousand ahead of Beliakou on this occasion. Adam Sedlmajer CZE took third with another superb run of 10,140 points.

Finally, as the spectators packed the entire purpose-built waterski lake in the Jakabaring sports Complex, it was time for the Jump discipline. This extreme sport never fails to capture the imagination of fans around the world. In the Women’s event, a cross wind made it challenging for the less experienced. Finland’s Jutta Lammi landed an impressive 47.0m early on to take the lead. Australia’s super star Jacinta Carroll quickly responded with a distance of 48.9m. This just left Florida based Marion Mathieu FRA, one of the most consistent Jumpers today. Her distance 47.4m however was only enough for second place and gold today went to twenty-year-old Jacinta Carroll.

The Men’s Jump event was the last of the day. Conditions on the water had improved steadily. Britain’s Damien Sharman scored a distance of 60.5m as the first of six Finalists to compete. Only the last two competitors could actually better this. Germany’s Bojan Schipner, in his very first World Cup Final, scored 59.7m to reach second best at that moment. The World Record Holder and World Champion, Freddy Krueger USA, then entered the arena to huge applause. His reputation of being almost unbeatable had already reached Indonesia !  When he landed a winning score of 64.1m and waved to the huge crowd, it was a perfect ending to one of the most enjoyable World Cup Stops to date.

At the formal Closing Ceremony on site, following a spectacular display of traditional dancing and music, as the fireworks show concluded, the Governor of South Sumatra, Alex Noerdin, declared that he would like to see the World Cup series return for many years to come. The athletes from twenty-five countries and World Cup team certainly welcomed this as the site was constructed for the Southeast Asian Games and the facilities are Olympic class. Palembang may now well be viewed as Indonesia’s watersports centre.

RESULTS :

SHORTBOARD & JUMP RESULTS – CLICK HERE

WAKEBOARD RESULTS BELOW :

Located just on the Equator in South Sumatra, the exotic City of Palembang, widely known for its water attractions, will host the 37^th World Cup Stop of the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF). It will take place on May 4^th and 5^th. Known as the Venice of the East, the City has a centuries-old history as a vital trading post between China and India.

The 2012 World Cup Stop, which was staged at the same Jakabaring Sports City centre, was a resounding success. On that occasion the medals went to athletes from Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Great Britain, Italy and USA.  Athletes from over 20 countries will take part again this year. Already preparations have been completed for this repeat visit to this first class location. Having hosted the Southeast Asian Games in 2011, the facilities available for this 2013 World Cup Stop are ideal. The magnificent scenery, local long-tail Macaque monkeys, temperatures of 30C, plus the many tourist attractions, will combine to make this another thrilling World Cup Stop.

Organised by the Indonesian Waterski & Wakeboard Association, this World Cup Stop will include Waterski Jump and Shortboard, plus Wakeboard for the most successful international male and female athletes of the IWWF. The defending 2012 Palembang World Cup champions will return once again to battle for their podium places. These will include Freddy Krueger USA and Marion Mathieu FRA in Jump, and Harley Clifford AUS and Raimi Merritt USA in Wakeboard. For the Shortboard athletes, this will be their first visit to the Jakabaring Sports City centre. They will include the two current World Record Holders, Aliaksei Zharnasek BLR and Clementine Lucine FRA.

MasterCraft will again provide the World Cup competition boats and support services with the Pro Star 190 and the X2 models.

For those not traveling to Palembang, a free live World Cup Webcast will be available throughout Saturday and Sunday, May 4^th and 5^th at : www.IWWF.tv

The official World Cup timetable (local time) is as follows :

FRIDAY

08.00 – 17.00   Official Practice

SATURDAY

08.00  SHORTBOARD : Women Preliminaries

09.15  SHORTBOARD : Men Preliminaries

11.30  JUMP : Women Preliminaries

12.30  JUMP : Men Preliminaries

14.30  WAKEBOARD : Women Semi-Finals

15.45  WAKEBOARD : Men Quarter-Finals

18.00  END OF DAY :

SUNDAY

08.00  WAKEBOARD :  Men Last Chance Qualifier

09.15  WAKEBOARD :  Women Last Chance Qualifier

10.15  WAKEBOARD : Men Semi-Finals

11.45  SHORTBOARD : Women Finals

12.15  SHORTBOARD : Men Finals

13.00  WAKEBOARD : Women Finals

13.45  WAKEBOARD : Wakeboard Finals

14.45  JUMP : Women Finals

15.30  JUMP : Men Finals

16.00  END

16.30  WORLD CUP MEDAL CEREMONY

19.30  FAREWELL BANQUET

Updates will be posted here on : WaterskiandWakeboardWorldCup.com

News will be posted on : www.iwwfed.com

Facebook updates will be available on the IWWF page.

Twitter : @DesBK