3-Cushion
VIERSEN - The best country in the world of three-cushion has finally won the gold medal at World championship for national teams in Viersen. The Belgian lion roared this afternoon in the final against Germany first in the arena, during and after the match in the stands, where supporters showed their mad joy and where the Belgians final could celebrate this title after 26 years.
How is it possible that the Belgians have never been on the highest podium? Even with Raymond Ceulemans and Ludo Dielis they only took the silver medal in this championship, played in 1981 in Mexico, behind the Japanese duo Kobayashi and Komori.
Frédéric Caudron and Peter de Backer won silver as well behind the Turks Sayginer and Tasdemir in 2004, Eddy Merckx and Roland Forthomme in 2009 behind Torbjörn Blomdahl and Michael Nilsson and Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens last year behind and Tasdemir and Cenet.
Today, in the Festhalle in Viersen, the Belgian champion Eddy Merckx and the world's number one Frédéric Caudron wrote a chapter with golden letters in the history of the Belgian billiards, which is already so rich with all those champions in the past.
The title was more than deserved and was never in danger in the final. The Belgians, both in a great form, first toyed their opponents and then tormented them. Frédéric Caudron made the difference against Germany, he dominated the match against Stefan Galla and eventually won 3-1.
Eddy Merckx and Martin Horn leveled their match to 1-1, then Merckx won the third set. He looked at the match of his teammate and saw that the Belgians had the gold for grabs.
Still it was nice to see how Martin Horn was asking the public to encourage the Germans, when he started the break off at 2-1 behind against Merckx and Galla had a tiny little chance after Caudron had missed the matchpoint at 14-4.
But the stoical Belgian finished the match one inning later, making an end to the illusions of the Germans.
The superduo grabbed gold, the Belgian lion showed his termendous tooth to the entire world. The German team was a stunning second and the Spaniards and Danes closed a glorious tournament with a top three position. That could be seen as a great success in such a strong field of players.