The 2013 Men’s World Men’s Team Championship begins Sunday June 9 in Mulhouse, France with Team USA attempting to replicate their fine performance of two years ago when they finished in sixth place at the event.
The week prior to departure the team were faced with an injury that has sidelined recent Princeton University graduate Todd Harrity, who has been replaced by the current U.S. Junior National Champion, Dylan Murray. The opportunity will be a great chance for Murray, who will begin his own college career at Harvard University this fall, to test himself against the world’s elite in what will likely be the first of many World Team Championships for the talented youngster.
The World Team Championships is the highest level team event in the world, involving the best players from 32 countries, and will be held in France for the first time in its 46 year history.
The event is played in two stages – stage 1 consists of 8 pools of 4 teams completed in a round robin format, and stage 2 begins with the top two teams in each pool creating a 16 team draw for positions 1-16, and the bottom two teams in each pool playing for places 17-32.
Team USA will begin the competition with a tough opening match as they face the Czech Republic, before going on to meet the group #1 seed Germany on Monday June 10. Their final pool opponents are Ireland at which point the final pool standings will be established.
This year’s team of Julian Illingworth, Chris Gordon, Gilly Lane and Dylan Murray, under the guidance of Head National Coach Paul Assaiante will be aiming for another top 8 finish at this year’s World Team Championships.
The team have been in France for a few days preparing for the event, and Lane expressed his enthusiasm in a tweet on Sunday morning:
“Not a better feeling waking up knowing that you are representing the United States of America…LETS GET IT.”
Go Team USA!
For live streaming of the 2013 World Men’s Team Championships click here.
