Korean women’s billiards has made history. “Women’s 3-cushion veteran” Lee Shin-young (43) became the first South Korean player to win the World Women’s 3-Cushion Championship.
Lee defeated world No. 5 Yuko Nishimoto (JPN) 30-18 in a 26-inning final at the 11th World Women’s 3-Cushion Championships of the World Carom Federation (UMB) in Ankara, Turkey, on Thursday (July 14).
Lee is the first Korean women’s 3-cushion player to win a world championship. Previously, Lee finished runner-up in 2016 and 2017 and Han Ji-Eun in 2022. Choi Sung-won won the men’s 3-cushion at the 2014 World Championships.
Lee Shin-young, who finished third at the 2014 event, stood at the top of the podium for the first time in nine years, and he broke down in tears as the national anthem played on the podium.
The turning point of his victory came in the quarterfinals, when he faced the world No. 1 Teresa Klompenhauer (NED), whom he beat 30-14 in a 23-inning match to advance to the final four. With momentum on her side, Nishimoto went on to defeat Miriam Pruim of the Netherlands 30-15 (45 innings) in the quarterfinals to reach the long-awaited final.
Nishimoto is a formidable opponent, having finished runner-up in the 2012 and 2014 editions of the tournament, but Lee produced a flawless performance in the final. She scored six runs in the first six innings to quickly extend her lead to 11-3. She then added five more runs in the ninth inning to extend her lead to 16-4.
In the bottom half of the inning, they continued their offense and extended their lead to 21-5. But Nishimoto wasn’t done. From the 14th to the 16th, she scored a whopping eight points. Lee Shin-young immediately drove a wedge. With the score 21-13, Lee added another five points. Finally, he scored the remaining two points in the 26th game for a 28-18 lead and was crowned the new world champion.
“The joy of winning the championship and the national anthem made me feel so emotional that tears came out naturally,” he said through the Korea Billiards Federation, adding, “I will keep up my good performance and show good form in the future.”
Meanwhile, his teammate Kim Ha-eun (Chungbuk Billiards Federation) also made it to the podium in his first World Championship appearance, finishing in third place. She started off strong with a win over Klompenhauer in her first group match, but was upset by Yuko Nishimoto in the quarterfinals. However, it is the first time that two South Korean players have stood on the podium at the Women’s 3 Cushion World Championships. 안전놀이터
“It was a good experience for me,” said Kim Ha-eun. I didn’t expect to be able to perform so well on the biggest stage in the world. I will train more in the future,” said Kim.
With their results, Lee and Kim moved up to No. 2 and No. 6 in the world rankings, respectively. They will return home via Incheon International Airport on April 16.