Finland's Jouni Tähti has defeated Henrik Larsson to win the World Wheelchair Championship.
This event, held at the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino in Elizabeth Indiana, drew 24 of the top Wheelchair players in the world for a chance to win the most prestigious title in the world of Wheelchair billiards.
As expected, the final match was a close one. Both players traded games with each player holding early one game leads. Tähti was the first player to earn a two rack lead at 5-3, which he then pushed out to 6-3. Larsson fought back to within one rack at 7-6, but Tähti quickly pulled back to a 9-6 lead.
Tähti reached the hill at 10-7, but Larsson was still not ready to give in. Larsson won two games to get back to 10-9, but a miss on the one ball in rack 20 was Larsson's last trip to the table as Tähti ran out the rack to earn his second career World Wheelchair Championship.
Tähti collected $1900 in prize money and a custom engraved Viking Cue to go along with his Gold Medal. Larsson settled for $1100 in cash along with a custom engraved Viking Cue and the Silver Medal. Kurt Deklerck and Charlie Hans took home $750 each, as well as custom engraved Viking Cues and Bronze Medals.
The event was sponsored by The Paralyzed Veterans of America, Viking
cues, Simonis Cloth, Predator products, Poison Billiards and The BCA.
