Tournament Recap: 50-55 Worlds Update
The Women’s 50s team—Heather Waters, Carolina Blouin, and Pernilla Putnik—captained by Julie Thu and seeded No. 2, stormed through their round robin, took out Italy in the quarterfinals, and battled their way to a 4th-place finish after a semifinal loss to Spain 2-1.
In the 55s, Kathy Settles captained the third-seeded team of Jen Beindorf, Lindsay Montero, and Gayle Prejean. After losing to Austria in round robin play, they earned a “lucky loser” spot into the knockout rounds, where they pushed #1 seed Italy to the limit before finishing 6th in the world—a testament to their grit and teamwork.
Fewer than a handful of American women competed in the Individual World Championships, but those who did made their mark. In Women’s 50 singles, Julie Thu—the 2024 45s World Champion—advanced to the final without dropping a set before falling to Slovenia’s Barbara Mulej, who captured her sixth straight world title. In Women’s 55 doubles, the unseeded sister duo of Shelly Sweeney and Lindsay Montero impressed with a bronze-medal run.
Congratulations to all of our players for representing the U.S. with such determination and bringing home world-class results!
