Successful Speed Badminton World Cup premiere - Speedminton

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PRESS INFORMATION
29 th August 2011
Successful Speed Badminton World Cup
premiere: German team takes 3 out of 10 titles
Berlin – The first ever "ISBO AZIMUT Hotels Speedminton® World
Championships" have now been and gone. The 2-day event saw 383
participants from 29 nations competing in 750 individual matches for the
title of world champion in ten categories. The most coveted title in the
Open Division goes to Sweden. In a riveting and eventful final that swung
both ways Per Hjalmarson beat Daniel Gossen of Germany 2:1 (set
scores: 0:16, 16:14, 16:12).
The final showdown to decide the World Champion in the supreme category of
this very new sport was very nearly washed out. Local hero Daniel Gossen led
after the first set, having coped with the onset of rain considerably better than
his Swedish opponent. Heavy showers and large puddles of water on the
Centre Court of the Steffi Graf Stadium conspired to halt play.
Faced with the prospect of continuing the match on the Sunday, the
tournament organisers consulted the players, as provided for in the rules, and
shifted play to the roofed tennis hall, where the Swede mounted an effective
challenge and prevailed in the remaining two sets.
Speed badminton World Champion Per Hjalmarson: "Daniel got off to a better
start on the outdoor court and I would have had trouble swinging things in my
favour out there. Indoors I found it easier. Hats off to Daniel; we were the best
two players in the tournament and we squared off in the final. It was an
exciting game with a lot of really classy play. I'd say the spectators got the thrill
they were looking for, too."
As a consolation prize for missing out on the singles title, Daniel Gossen won
the doubles with partner René Lewicki, beating a seemingly unstoppable
Hjalmarson and his partner Björn Karlsson 3:0.
In a result that showed that rankings do not always predict who will end up on
the winners' podium, Janet Köhler (GER) took the second title for the DSBV

team. Ranked no. 43 in the world, Köhler beat the 3rd-ranked Slovenian
Jasmina Keber in straight sets. In her route to the final she disposed of Kasia
Witwicka (POL, 5 th ranked in the world) in an equally decisive semi-final.
Ulrich Burkhardt took the third German gold medal in the men's 'Over 40'
category.
The organisers from the International Speed Badminton Organisation (ISBO)
were pleased with the way the tournament went: "The first World
Championships have been a great experience for all concerned and produced
some very deserving champions. The event will boost our fresh, young sport
and we will continue to grow. We were pleasantly surprised at the numbers of
spectators and media organisations who showed an interest, and it is a source
of some pride to us. A pity that St Peter wasn't on our side all of the time. We
only needed another hour without rain. But that's how it goes," said ISBO cofounder
Niels Mester.
The Berlin region was represented by Dr. Herbert Dierker from the Berlin
Senate Department for Sports and Internal Affairs, who stated: "We're
delighted that this new sport, originally from Berlin, has spread worldwide and
has crowned its first world champions in the city where it all began. The
decision by LTTC Rot-Weiß to open its beautiful premises to a fresh, new sport
also sends precisely the right signal."
Free photographic material on the Speed Badminton World Championships is
available on http://www.speedminton.com/wmpics/.
If you would like further information on speed badminton or the "ISBO
AZIMUT Hotels Speedminton® World Championships 2011" or have any
queries regarding this press release, please contact:
ISBO-Press Office
Claus Frömming
Sport PR im Olympiapark Berlin
Hanns-Braun-Straße / Adlerplatz
14053 Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 30 111 86 13
Mobile: +49 (0) 173 69 49 885
Mail: info@clausfroemming.de

All results in the respective categories (there were no play-offs for runners-up;
the two losing semi-finalists share 3 rd place):
Open Division: Women:
1. Per Hjalmarson (SWE) 1. Janet Köhler (GER)
2. Daniel Gossen (GER) 2. Jasmina Keber (SLW)
3. René Lewicki (GER) 3. Janina Karasek (POL)
Kristian Hansen (DEN) Kasia Witwicka (POL)
Doubles:
1. Daniel Gossen/René Lewicki (GER)
2. Per Hjalmarson/Björn Karlsson (SWE)
3. Henrieta Sychrivanova/Andrej Ostrihorn (SVK)
Ulrich Burkhardt/Patrick Schüsseler (GER)
Seniors O40 men: Seniors O35 women:
1. Ulrich Burkhardt (GER) 1. Karine Chabrel (FRA)
2. Damir Ilic (CRO) 2. Constanze Lorang (GER)
3. György Vaczi (HUN) 3. Regina Ströbel (GER)
André Wöllner-Hanssen (SUI) Isabelle Vaillant (FRA)
U18 boys: U18 girls:
1. Tomas Pavlovsky (SVK) 1. Alexandra Kacvinska (SVK)
2. Dasen Jarnas (CRO) 2. Lenka Levkova (SVK)
3. Jakub Kosicki (POL) 3. Tea Grofelnik (CRO)
Bence Kalinkas (HUN) Zita Ruby (HUN)
U14 boys: U14 girls:
1. Adam Kakula (POL) 1. Paula Barkovic (CRO)
2. Bruno Grofelnik (CRO) 2. Jocelin Pusch (GER)
3. Alexander Gollmer (GER) 3. Kristina Skavnicka (SVK)
Rene Lesco (SVK) Terezia Bibalova (SVK)
Seniors O50:
1. Vincent Krieger (FRA)
2. Jocelyn Perdreau (FRA)

3. Robert Wynne (GBR)
Lex Erlacher (GER)