The 2012 World Mind Sport Games had numerous sponsors this year. Some sponsors gave financial help, while others provided products or services. Perhaps one of the most popular and appreciated “give-away” product was the comfortable North Face jackets supplied by the well known outdoor sporting equipment and clothing company, The North Face, via BobsSportsChalet.com. I heard from a number of the 2012 World Mind Sport Games participants that the fleece North Face jacket they received in their welcome goodie bag was their favorite since not only was it comfortable to wear but also was very stylish. Aside from the honor of participating in the games, their North Face fleece jacket was going to be coveted by friends once they arrived home!
One of our competitors had to overcome physical and legal issues in order to compete in this year’s competition. The best example of fortitude was a competitor who did not medal, but her story deserves mention. Sandra Wilkes (USA) was first injured in a truck accident, and then, although she was not at fault, sued by the party that was responsible. This forced her to not only have to overcome her physical injury (about a week in the hospital, followed by 2 weeks in rehab) but also to fight a legal battle. Thanks her team of truck injury lawyers, who donated their time, she not only won her case, but also won a substantial settlement, which, while it did not cover all her expenses, prevented a physical injury from becoming a financial disaster for her. Our competitors often embody grit, courage, and determination in their quest to compete for mere honorable mentions in the Mind Sports Games.
I know that she spent some of her settlement money on hot tubs from RoyalPoolsAndSpas.com. That’s right hot tubs. She bought one for her Hudson Valley home which is located within easy driving distance of several ski resorts. She has said that there is nothing better than coming home after a long day of skiing at Windham or Hunter Mountain ski resorts and soaking in the hot tub under the stars with a goblet of wine. Talk about being able to make lemonade out of a lemon of an accident. The other hot tub she bought was for her parents. Both apparently suffer from arthritis and soaking in a hot tub every day really is quite theraputic for them. A thoughtful and generous good daughter, to say the least. And a great MindGame competitor.
Now onto listing the 2012 World Mind Sport Games Medalists.
Xiang Qi:
Women Rapid:
Gold / Chen, Lichun From China
Silver / Tang, Dan From China
Bronze / Han, Bing From China
Men Rapid:
Gold / Xie Jing From China
Silver / Jiang Chuan From China
Bronze / Zhang Qiang From China
Women Individual:
Gold / Chen, Lichun From China
Silver / Tang, Dan From China
Bronze / Han, Bing From China
Men Individual:
Gold / Wan Chunlin From China
Silver / Xie Jing From China
Bronze / Zhang Qiang From China
Team Men:
Gold / Wan Chunlin & Xie Jing From China
Silver / Nguyen Hoang Lam & Nguyen Thanh Bao From Vietnam
Bronze / Chan Chun Kit & Yu Hung Wai From Chinese Hong Kong
GO:
Men Individual:
Gold / Lai, Yu-Cheng From Chinese Taipei
Silver / Kuo, Nai-Fu From Chinese Taipei
Bronze / Lo, Sheng-Chich From Chinese Taipei
Women Individual:
Gold / Lin Hsia-Tung From Chinese Taipei
Silver / Osawa Maya From Japan
Bronze / Yu Jin From Canada
Team:
Gold / Kuo, Nai-Fu – Lai, Yu-Cheng – Hung, Hsin-Wei & Chin, Shi-Min (cpt) From Chinese Taipei
Silver / Lo, Sheng-Chieh – Hsu, Hao-Hung – Lu, Yu-Hua & Tsai, Cheng-Wei (cpt) From Chinese Taipei
Bronze / Tan, Jia-Cheng – Zhang, Xiang – Kwa, Jie Hui – Poh, Jun Zhe & Kwa, Kim Chiang (cpt) From Singapore
Pairs:
Gold / M.Osawa & R. Nakasone From Japan
Silver / Lin Hsiao & Hung HW From Chinese Taipei
Bronze / Lu YuHua & Lai Yu From Chinese Taipei
Youth:
Gold / Nai Fu Kao From Chinese Taipei
Silver / Chen Wei Tsai From Chinese Taipei
Bronze / Hao Hung Hsu From Chinese Taipei
Draughts:
World Cup:
Gold / Alexey Chizhov From Russia
Silver / Alexander Schwarzman From Russia
Bronze / Roel Boomstra From Netherlands
W. World Cup
Gold / Olga Fedorovich From Belarus
Silver / Nina Hoekman From Netherlands
Bronze / Natalia Sadowska From Polands
W. ch. Rapid:
Gold / Roel Boomstra From Netherlands
Silver / Alexey Chizhov From Russia
Bronze / Ainur Shaibakov From Russia
W.W. ch. Rapid:
Gold / Nina Hoekman From Netherlands
Silver / Viktoriya Motrichko From Ukraine
Bronze / Ayanika Kychkina From Russia
64 Men:
Gold / Gavril Kolesvov From Russia
Silver / Nikolay Germogenov From Russia
Bronze / Oleg Dashkov From Russia
64 Women:
Gold / Iuliia Makarenkova From Ukraina
Silver / Stepanida Kirillina From Russia
Bronze / Zhanna Sarhaeva From Russia
W ch. Rapid Nations:
Gold / Ukraina
Silver / Russia
Bronze / Netherlands
WW ch. Rapid Nations:
Gold / Russia
Silver / Netherlands
Bronze / Cameroun
Blitz Men:
Gold / Denys Shkatula From Ukraina
Silver / Sergiy Bilosheyev From Ukraina
Bronze / Gavril Kolesov From Russia
Blitz Women:
Gold / Stepanida Kirillina From Russia
Silver / Zhanna Sarshaeva From Russia
Bronze / Luliia Makarenkova From Ukrainia
Checkers Men:
Gold / Michele Borghetti From Italy
Silver / Sergio Scarpetta From Italy
Bronze / Bashim Durdyev From Turkmenistan
Checkers Women:
Gold / Nadiya Chyzhevsk From Ukrainia
Silver / Amangul Berdiyeva From Turkmenistan
Bronze / Erika Rosso From Italy
W ch. Blitz:
Gold / Alexander Schwartzman From Russia
Silver / Alexander Getmanski From Russia
Bronze / Roel Boomstra From Netherlands
Women W. ch. Blitz:
Gold / Aygul Idrisova From Russia
Silver / Matrena Nogovitsyna From Russia
Bronze / Olga Balthazi Ukrainia
W. Blitz Nations:
Gold / Russia
Silver / Latvia
Bronze / Netherlands
Women W Blitz Nations:
Gold / The Netherlands
Silver / Russia
Bronze / Mongolia
Bridge:
Women Team:
Gold / Sally Brock, Fiona Brown, Haether Dhondy, Nevena Senior, Nicola Smith, Susan Stockdale & Jeremy Dhondy (NPC) From England
Silver / Svetlana Chubarova, Victoroa Gromova, Anna Gulevich, Elena Khonicheva, Tatian Ponomerava & Olga Vorobeychikova From Russia
Bronze / Cathy Baldysz, Ewa Banaszkiewicz, Katarzyna Dufrat, Danuta Kazmucha, Nathalia Sakowska, Justyna Zmuda & Miroslaw Cichocki (NPC) From Poland
Senior Team:
Gold / Gyorgy Barany, Miklos Dumbovich, Mihaly Kovacs, Peter Magyar, Geza Szappanos & Beatrix Nagy (coach) From Hungary
Silver / Neil Chambers, Lew Finkel, Stephen Landen, Sam Lev, John Schermer, Richard Schwartz & Phillip Adler (NPC) From USA
Bronze / Patrick Grenthe, Guy Lasserre, François Leenhardt, Patrice Piganeau, Philippe Poizat, Philippe Vanhoutte & Philippe Cronier (NPC) From France
Open Team:
Gold / Krister Ahlesved, Peter Bertheau, Per-Ola Cullin, Fredrick Nystrom, Jona Petersson, Johan Upmark & Mats Axdorph (NPC) From Sweden
Silver / Cezary Balicki, Krzysztof Buras, Grzegorz Narkiewicz, Piotr Zak, Jerzy Zaremba, Adam Zmudzinski & Piotr Wojcicki (NPC) From Poland
Bronze / Fulvio Fantoni, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Franck Multon, Claudio Nunes, Pierre Zimmermann & J.C Allavena (NPC) From Monaco