EBT STOP TROFEU INTERNACIONAL CIUTAT DE BARCELONA BROADCAST ON EUROSPORT 2

Latest News: We were informed that the final of the TROFEU CIUTAT DE BARCELONA will be shown on Eurosport 2 on Saturday 29th of August from 18:30 to 19:30.

KOIVUNIEMI SHOOTS BIG GAME TO WIN 31ST TROFEU INTERNACIONAL CIUTAT DE BARCELONA

For the second year in a row and the third in the past five years, a PBA super star walked away the winner in the Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain).

8-time PBA champion and 2003-04 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, seeded second, flew past No. 1 seeded Josh Blanchard, United States, 289-197, to win the 31st edition and the 12.000 Euro top prize. Blanchard, who led the field after qualifying and the semifinals, finished second, worth 6.000 Euro.

In the opening match, Koivuniemi eliminated former World Ranking Masters champion and newly PBA exempt player, Stuart Williams, England, 227-192. Williams pocketed 3.000 Euro for third place.

Sixth place finisher Kirsten Penny, England, won the women's rankings.

A total of 48 players advanced to the finals on Sunday: the 15 squad leaders plus the top 27 from the overall qualifying standings and an additional six women.

All players carried forward 50 per cent of their qualifying total and bowled four games to cut to the top 24, who bowled another four games to cut to the top 3 for the stepladder finals. The No. 3 seed bowls No. 2 and the winner takes on No. 1 to determine the champion. All stepladder matches are one-game matches.

The 31st Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona is the 9th stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's 'Majors'. The tournament will be held at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, from July 14-19, 2009.

The total prize fund is 55.900 Euro with 12.000 Euro going to the winner. Women received 8 pins handicap each game. As an EBT Major, there were 100 ranking points at stake for the winner of the men's and women's rankings, respectively.

Championship Round:

1. Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 516 (2 games), 12.000 Euro

2. Josh Blanchard, United States, 197 (1 game), 6.000 Euro

3. Stuart Williams, England, 192 (1 game), 3.000 Euro

Playoff Results:

Semifinal Match: #2 Koivuniemi def. #3 Williams, 227-192

Title Match: Koivuniemi def. #1 Blanchard, 289-197.

CATALAN BOWLING FEDERATION