Tampere celebrates European champions in 32 events
The temperature in already extremely worm Tampere reached the unbelievable heights on the ultimate day at the European Veterans Championships. The battles for top places at the medal rostrum brought the best from already inspired competitors and we witnessed great matches before the curtain came down.
Main favorites in Men’s Singles 40 and 50 events clinched their titles. Dimitry MAZUNOV of Russia and YI Ding of Austria won gold. Of course the final day produced few upsets. Claus PEDERSEN of Denmark had to surrender the crown to Nosratallah SAFAI of Sweden.
Branka BATINIC won silver in Doubles but she reached the highest place at the medal rostrum in Singles.
In Men’s Doubles 50 event Yury ILLARIONOV and Igor ROLDUGIN of Russia exceeded the seedings and beat Austria’s YI Ding and Russia’s Aleksei RODIN. The Men’s Doubles 40 category also concluded with surprise. Russia’s Georgii RUBINSHTEIN and Aleksandr SAVELEV beat Henrik VENDELBO of Denmark and Marcus WANEK of Germany.
In Women’s 50 Event in Doubles Maria VINTILA TIFACHI of Spain and Maria GAFTEA of Romania succeeded against Branka BATINIC of Croatia and Marion KLUSSMANN of Germany.
ALL MEDALISTS AT A GLANCE
Men’s 40
Singles – Gold: Dimitry MAZUNOV (RUS). Silver: Saim POLATKIN (TUR). Bronze: Leonid IVANOV (RUS) Henrik VENDELBO (DEN).
Final Singles
Dimitry MAZUNOV (RUS) – Saim POLATKIN (TUR) 3:1 (2 -9 4 9).
Doubles – Gold: Georgii RUBINSHTEIN Aleksandr SAVELEV (RUS). Silver: Henrik VENDELBO (DEN) Marcus WANEK (GER). Bronze: Thomas OTT (GER) Vahidin OKIC (SWE) Lorestas TRUMPASKUAS (ENG) Dimitry ABRAMENKO (ISR).
Final Doubles
Georgii RUBINSHTEIN Aleksandr SAVELEV (RUS) – Henrik VENDELBO (DEN) Marcus WANEK (GER) 3:1 (4 6 -7 4).
Women’s 40
Singles – Gold: Cecile OZER (BEL). Silver: Elena CHUNIKHINA (RUS). Bronze: Magali CHARLIER (BEL) Larisa LAVRAKHINA (RUS).
Final Singles
Cecile OZER (BEL) – Elena CHUNIKHINA (RUS) 3:1 (9 -12 6 4)
Doubles – Gold: Elena CHUNIKHINA Larisa LAVRAKHINA (RUS). Silver: Petronela BADUROVA Iveta KUCKOVA (SVK). Bronze: Isabelle GUILBAULT (FRA) Fulya DIKER (TUR) Lena JOHNSSON Katarina AMARK (SWE).
Final Doubles
Elena CHUNIKHINA Larisa LAVRAKHINA (RUS) – Petronela BADUROVA Iveta KUCKOVA (SVK) 3:2 (8 -11 -9 11 8)
Men’s 50
Singles – Gold: YI Ding (AUT). Silver: Carsten EGEHOLT (DEN). Bronze: Miroslav CECAVA (CZE) Matthias BLUHM (GER).
Final Singles
YI Ding (AUT) – Carsten EGEHOLT (DEN) 3:1 (-9 1 5 9).
Doubles – Gold: Yury ILLARIONOV Igor ROLDUGIN (RUS). Silver: YI Ding (AUT) Aleksei RODIN (RUS). Bronze: Carsten EGEHOLT (DEN) Rainer JUNGBLUT (GER) Denis FORBAULT Jean Louis LAMARRE (FRA).
Final Doubles
Yury ILLARIONOV Igor ROLDUGIN (RUS) – YI Ding (AUT) Aleksei RODIN (RUS) 3:2 (-4 11 -3 7 10).
Women’s 50
Singles – Gold: Branka BATINIC (CRO). Silver: Inna TIKHOMIROVA (RUS). Bronze: Maria VINTILA TIFACHI (ESP) Marta DAUBNEROVA (SVK).
Final Singles
Branka BATINIC (CRO) – Inna TIKHOMIROVA (RUS) 3:0 (8 13 11)
Doubles – Gold: Maria VINTILA TIFACHI (ESP) Maria GAFTEA (ROU). Silver: Branka BATINIC (CRO) Marion KLUSSMANN (GER). Bronze: Tatiana KULIEVA Inna TIKHOMIROVA (RUS) Heike BORCHARDT Anka MUTKE (GER).
Final Doubles
Maria VINTILA TIFACHI (ESP) Maria GAFTEA (ROU) – Branka BATINIC (CRO) Marion KLUSSMANN (GER) 3:1 (-7 4 7 11).
Men’s 60
Singles – Gold: Bela FRANK (HUN). Silver: Rein LINDMAE (EST). Bronze: Rolf EBERHARDT (GER) Petr POLAK (CZE)
Final Singles
Bela FRANK (HUN) – Rein LINDMAE (EST) 3:2 (9 9 -6 -8 14)
Doubles – Gold: Rein LINDMAE (EST) Leonid SEGAL (UKR). Silver: Jurgen HECHT Manfred NIESWAND (GER). Bronze: Eduard KOZLOVSKI Vladimir TUDESOV (RUS) Dieter JURGENS Gerd WERNER (GER).
Final Doubles
Rein LINDMAE (EST) Leonid SEGAL (UKR) – Jurgen HECHT Manfred NIESWAND (GER) 3:2 (-7 5 -7 9 5).
Women’s 60
Singles – Gold: Elle OUN (EST). Silver: Nella MAMLINA (ISR). Bronze: Eliane CHARBONNEAU Hildegard GEORGI (GER).
Final Singles
Nella MAMLINA (ISR) – Elle OUN (EST) 3:0 (0 0 0)
Doubles – Gold: Monika HUSSMANN Gerda KUX SIEBERATH (GER). Silver: Eliane CHARBONNEAU Michelle SEVIN (FRA). Bronze: Christa GEIST Carmen PETRY (GER) Lidija KALININA (LAT) Elena LIVEROVA (RUS).
Final Doubles
Monika HUSSMANN Gerda KUX SIEBERATH (GER)- Eliane CHARBONNEAU Michelle SEVIN (FRA) 3:2 (9 -7 -8 8 9).
Men’s 65
Singles – Gold: Nosratallah SAFAI (SWE). Silver: Goran SKOKSBERG (SWE). Bronze : Claus PEDERSEN (DEN) Milos MATEJICEK (CZE)
Final Singles
Nosratallah SAFAI (SWE) – Goran SKOKSBERG (SWE) 3:2 (-5 8 -3 9 10)
Doubles – Gold: Claus PEDERSEN Nils RAMBERG (DEN). Silver: Matti LAPPALAINEN (FIN) Goran SKOGSBERG (SWE). Bronze: John CLARKE (ENG) Geoff SALTER (SCO) Jaroslav KUCERA Zdenek REMES (CZE).
Final Doubles
Claus PEDERSEN Nils RAMBERG (DEN) – Matti LAPPALAINEN (FIN) Goran SKOGSBERG (SWE) 3:1 (-10 3 9 6).
Women’s 65
Singles – Gold: Istvanee JONYER (HUN). Silver: Larisa ILINSKAIA (RUS). Bronze: Karin FLEMKE (GER) Carol COWIE (ENG).
Final Singles
Istvanee JONYER (HUN)- Larisa ILINSKAIA (RUS) 3:2 (-7 -7 10 13 8).
Doubles – Gold: Marina KERWAT Ursula KRUGER (GER). Silver: Marjorie DAWSON (ENG) Elke RICHTER (GER). Bronze: Carol COWIE Linda HALES (ENG) Karin FLEMKE Christine LUBBE (GER).
Final Doubles
Marina KERWAT Ursula KRUGER (GER) – Marjorie DAWSON (ENG) Elke RICHTER (GER) 3:0 (8 4 0)
Men’s 70
Singles – Gold: Wolfgang SCHMIDT (GER). Silver: Dimitrije BILIC (GER). Bronze: Istvan SZALAI (HUN) Zdenek SENOHRABEK (CZE).
Final Singles
Dimitrije BILIC (GER)- Wolfgang SCHMIDT (GER) 3:2 (7 -9 – 8 9 10).
Doubles – Gold: Herbert NEUBAUER Wolfgang SCHMIDT (GER). Silver: Roy NORTON Kenneth STONEBRIDGE (ENG). Bronze: Josef MERK Rene THEILLOUT (GER) Leif APPLSKOG Sven Olof KRATZ (SWE).
Final Doubles
Herbert NEUBAUER Wolfgang SCHMIDT (GER) – Roy NORTON Kenneth STONEBRIDGE (ENG) 3:0 (5 7 9).
Women’s 70
Singles – Gold: Jutta BARON (GER). Silver: Ursula KRUGER (GER). Bronze: Karin RAUSCHER (GER) Gizella ZACHER (HUN).
Final Singles
Jutta BARON (GER) – Ursula KRUGER (GER) 3:2 (13 -5 9 -10 8).
Doubles – Gold: Rosi BERG Karin RAUSCHER (GER). Silver: Jutta BARON Gudrun ENGEL (GER). Bronze: Mare KABRITS (EST) Nicole PILLIERE (FRA) Waltraut SANDER (GER) Christa LUBKE (NED).
Final Doubles
Rosi BERG Karin RAUSCHER (GER) – Jutta BARON Gudrun ENGEL (GER) 3:1 (12 -8 4 9).
Men’s 75
Singles – Gold: Horst IFFLAND (SUI). Silver: Dieter LIPPELT (GER). Bronze: Sven Olof KRATZ (SWE) Uwe WIENPRECHT (GER).
Final Singles
Horst IFFLAND (SUI) – Dieter LIPPELT (GER) 3:2 (-8 8 -8 7 8)
Doubles – Gold: Siegfrird LEMKE Uwe WIENPRECHT (GER). Silver: Jan Eric OLOFSSON Bo TORINSSON (SWE). Bronze: Keith POWEL (ENG) Hans WESTLING (SWE) Bernd WITTHAUS (GER) Horst IFFLAND (SUI).
Final Doubles
Siegfrird LEMKE Uwe WIENPRECHT (GER) – Jan Eric OLOFSSON Bo TORINSSON (SWE) 3:0 (8 4 7).
Women’s 75
Singles – Gold: Karin NIEMEYER (GER). Silver: Nicole PILLIERE (FRA). Bronze: Regina ISERN (GER) Heidi WUNNER (GER).
Final Singles
Karin NIEMEYER (GER) -Nicole PILLIERE (FRA) 3:2 (9 9 -9 -4 9).
Doubles – Gold: Karla GUTSCHMIDT Heidi WUNNER (GER). Silver: Betty BIRD Carol JUDSON (ENG). Bronze: Pauline STEEL (ENG) Audrey ROBINSON (IRL) Margret HEGER Regina ISERN (GER).
Final Doubles
Karla GUTSCHMIDT Heidi WUNNER (GER) – Betty BIRD Carol JUDSON (ENG) 3:1 (6 11 -5 8).
Men’s 80
Singles – Gold: Kai MERIMAA (FIN). Silver: Frederick LOCKWOOD (ENG). Bronze: Lars SVEDBERG (SWE) Josef MAYER (HUN).
Final Singles
Kai MERIMAA (FIN) – Frederick LOCKWOOD (ENG) 3;0 (7 10 9).
Doubles – Gold: Arno DISSMAN Heiner KOULA (GER). Silver: Rolf GROSS Richard LUBER (GER). Bronze: Karel JEZEK Oldrich MIKULA (CZE) Frantisek PERIS Anton STANCEK (CZE).
Final Doubles
Arno DISSMAN Heiner KOULA (GER)- Rolf GROSS Richard LUBER (GER) 3:1 (-7 7 8 9).
Women’s 80
Singles – Gold: Marianne BLASBERG (GER). Silver: Martha WILLKE (GER). Bronze: Betty BIRD (ENG) Edith SANTIFALLER-HUBER (ITA).
Final Singles
Marianne BLASBERG (GER)- Martha WILLKE (GER) 3:1 (-6 6 8 12).
Doubles – Gold: Pam BUTCHER (ENG) Marianne BLASBERG (GER). Silver: Anneliese BISCHOFF Sigrid MATTHIAS (GER). Bronze: Christl RUPPRECHT (GER) Bep HOLSTER (NED) Eeva ERIKSSON (FIN) Ragnhild LUNDBERG (SWE).
Final Doubles
Pam BUTCHER (ENG) Marianne BLASBERG (GER) – Anneliese BISCHOFF Sigrid MATTHIAS (GER) 3:0 (2 3 7).
Men’s 85
Singles – Gold: Lumir RUZHA (CZE). Silver: Rolf GROSS (GER). Bronze: Michel HOVELAQUE (FRA) Friedrich ROESSLER (GER).
Final Singles
Lumir RUZHA (CZE) – Rolf GROSS (GER) 3:2 (9 6 -9 -8 8)
Doubles – Gold: Ernest JUNKER Friedrich ROESSLER (GER). Silver: Louis GAIFFE Yves LAINE (FRA). Bronze: Lumir RUZHA (CZE) Erwin SCHULZ (GER) Karl Bertli BERG Sture UHLAN (SWE).
Final Doubles
Ernest JUNKER Friedrich ROESSLER (GER) – Louis GAIFFE Yves LAINE (FRA) 3:0 (8 4 8)
Women’s 85
Singles – Gold: Pam BUTCHER (ENG). Silver: Gisela LANGEN (GER). Bronze: Mireille MIGEOTTE (BEL) Irene HECQ (BEL).
Final Singles
Pam BUTCHER (ENG) – Gisela LANGEN (GER) 3:0 (3 10 6).
Doubles – Gold: Irene HECQ (BEL) Gisela LANGEN (GER). Silver: Mireille MIGEOTTE Irma REYNAERT (BEL)
Final Doubles
Irene HECQ (BEL) Gisela LANGEN (GER) – Mireille MIGEOTTE Irma REYNAERT (BEL) 3:0 (2 3 7).
