The shooting competition was won by Thaleungkiat Phusa-Ad, who was the pointer (not the shooter!) for the Thai team throughout the tournament. Phusa-Ad also won a bronze medal, for third-place Thailand (eliminated by Belgium 2 in the semi-finals).
Our Canadian friend, Thomas Pouplot, took the bronze shooting medal, marking the first time a North American has won a medal at the World Championships. The two favorites, Philippe Suchaud (France 1) and Claudy Weibel (Belgium 2), were eliminated in the first and second rounds respectively. Ti, Team USA’s shooter, survived the first round, but not the second. For Photos of the Shooting Competition.
This selection includes a series from the round 1 match between France 2 and Italy, which France barely won, the semi-final game between the two French teams, a couple from the final and varied action shots from around the arena. For Martha’s Other Favorites. (Most of the final was captured on film, and some of these will be transferred to digital later.)
We end with a series featuring one of the greatest all-around players in the world (and my personal favorite): Michel Loy. Although Christian Fazzino, Philippe Quintais, Claudy Weibel, and Marco Foyot have their supporters, many people think Loy is the best middle in the game. He is an extraordinary shooter under pressure. In Brussels, Loy pointed for the defending champions, France 2. Loy’s pointing is truly spectacular: no other player on earth launches the ball as high (often 45 feet), with as much perfectly controlled spin (left, right, and neutral) and placement (usually less than a foot in front of the bouchon). Even at the World Championships, players stop what they are doing, in utter amazement, to watch him point. For Michel Loy Pointing.
