Let’s review what went down last week at the 22nd International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Antonio, Texas. It was the first World Championships in the USA since 1996, when they were held in Phoenix. That year American players swept the individual events, but Canada won the Men’s Team event with the USA taking the Women’s event, as well as the overall team title.
This year Canada almost won the Men’s Team event also, except the USA - their long time rival - pipped them in the final. And Mexico won the Women’s Team event, which was their 7th consecutive women’s title.
Five players won three medals at Worlds. American Daniel De La Rosa won three gold medals: singles, mixed doubles and the men's team event. Mexican Montserrat Mejia won gold in doubles and the women's team event, and silver in mixed doubles. Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina got silver in doubles and the women's team event, and bronze in singles. Mexican Eduardo Portillo got silver in doubles, and bronze in singles and the men's team event. Finally, Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala got silver in singles, and bronze in doubles and the women's team event.
Ten players won two medals at Worlds highlighted by Mexicans Paola Longoria and Alexandra Herrera, who won gold in singles and doubles, respectively, as well as the women’s team event.
Overall, players from eight countries won medals with six countries winning more than one. Surprisingly, Bolivia, which has become one of the top racquetball countries, didn’t have a player reach a final in San Antonio, and went home with four bronze medals in mixed doubles, the women’s team event, as well as men’s singles and men’s doubles, so every Bolivian did earn a medal with Angélica Barrios and Conrrado Moscoso getting two.
Notably, Chilean Carla Muñoz won her first medal at Worlds in a decade, as she took bronze in singles, which was her first singles medal. Her previous two medals at Worlds came in doubles in 2014 and 2012.
The next IRF event is the World Junior Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala, December 6-14, 2024. The 2025 Pan American Championships will be April 12-19, although the location has yet to be announced.
22nd IRF World Championships
August 24-31, 2024 - San Antonio, Texas, United States
Men's Singles
GOLD: Daniel De La Rosa (USA)
SILVER: Jake Bredenbeck (USA)
BRONZE: Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) / Carlos Keller (Bolivia)
Women's Singles
GOLD: Paola Longoria (Mexico)
SILVER: Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala)
BRONZE: Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) / Carla Muñoz (Chile)
Men's Doubles
GOLD: Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada)
SILVER: Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo (Mexico)
BRONZE: Kadim Carrasco & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) / Sebastian Fernandez & Adam Manilla (USA)
Women's Doubles
GOLD: Monserrat Mejia & Alexandra Herrera (Mexico)
SILVER: Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina)
BRONZE: Maria Renee Rodriguez & Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) / Frédérique Lambert & Juliette Parent (Canada)
Mixed Doubles
GOLD: Daniel De La Rosa & Hollie Scott (USA)
SILVER: Javier Mar & Monserrat Mejia (Mexico)
BRONZE: Edwin Galicia & Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) / Angelica Barrios & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia)
Men's Team
GOLD: USA - Jake Bredenbeck, Daniel De La Rosa, Sebastian Fernandez & Adam Manilla
SILVER: Canada - Kurtis Cullen, Coby Iwaasa, Samuel Murray & Trevor Webb
BRONZE: Mexico - Javier Mar, Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo
BRONZE: Costa Rica - Andrés Acuña & Gabriel Garcia
Women's Team
GOLD: Mexico - Alexandra Herrera, Paola Longoria & Monserrat Mejia
SILVER: Argentina - Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas
BRONZE: USA - Michelle Key, Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott
BRONZE: Bolivia - Angelica Barrios, Jenny Daza & Camila Rivero
Overall Team
GOLD: Mexico - Alexandra Herrera, Paola Longoria, Javier Mar, Monserrat Mejia, Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo
SILVER: USA - Jake Bredenbeck, Daniel De La Rosa, Sebastian Fernandez, Michelle Key, Kelani Lawrence, Adam Manilla, & Hollie Scott
BRONZE: Canada - Kurtis Cullen, Coby Iwaasa, Frédérique Lambert, Samuel Murray, Juliette Parent, Danielle Ramsay & Trevor Webb
4th: Argentina - Diego Garcia, Gerson Miranda Martinez, Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas
Follow the bouncing ball....
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