The European Championship of Champions 2026 will take place from 28th September to 4 October 2026 in Ankara, Türkiye.
Athletes
Verity Crawley and Raymond Teece
Reports
For the first time, we send two Professional Champions to ECC. It’s not the first time at the European Championship of Champions for either of our athletes, Verity taking Gold in 2023 and Bronze in 2024 plus two Gold’s in Mixed Doubles with Hadley Morgan. Raymond taking a Bronze in 2012. Verity back from a foot injury and Raymond in hot hot after his PBA win in the Storm Luck Larsen Masters in Sweden. Excitement high for our talented duo.
Block 1
Wednesday saw the start of play and eight games in block 1 for Verity Crawley. A solid start with 218 but three splits in game two for 166 and split and two opens for 169 in game three. Only four athletes from 31 over a 200 average at this point gives us an idea of difficulty.
The challenging block continued in game four with two splits and an open but Verity digging deep with a double at the end for 168. 16th at halfway point in the block but only 75 pins off second place and 14 pins off the top 12 cut.
Normal service resumed in game 5 as Verity caught three doubles and ond open for 212. Some blue sky in game 6 and opening with a turkey in Türkiye then pegged with a split open but spare and sixpack reply for a fine 242 and a massive jump up to 4th place.
Five strikes in eight frames but one split open in game seven and ending with 199. The final game going well with spare, strike spare fourbagger and ending with 237 and 1611.
Wednesday afternoon saw Raymond Teece start ECC and starting well with 231. A split welcomed Ray to game 2 but after that a closed game with a double for 195. Game 3 and closed with a double early on and turkey into the tenth for a solid 227.
Game 4 and but for a split in the middle of the game it was all closed and with a double later on for 194. Ten strikes in game 5 but a split open spoiling a fine 256.
A tight game 6 and strikes not flowing but plenty of spares plus one split and a double at the end for 190. Strikes flowing again in game 7 and ten of them but one open and one split open for 234.
The final game and Raymond flying on a 280 pace over the first eight frames and sitting in third place before this game. Raymond a master at shotmaking and probably one of our very best, hitting eight in a row and ending with an awesome 269 for 1796.
Block 2 (Mixed Doubles)
Verity Crawley had a 100% record in the Mixed doubles, twice winning in 2023 and 2024 with Hadley Morgan. Could she make it three with new partner Raymond Teece?
Both had a good first day and sitting second each in their divisions and high hopes for a medal of any colour today but hopefully Gold.
Splits greeted our pair early on but all spated but for one open from Raymond. Bith then hitting doubles. Two splits for Verity but Raymond covering with a fourbagger. Verity ending with 180 and Raymond with 196 after a split open in the tenth. 376 on the biad for game 1. Game 2 going well but for one split open. Both hitting a turkey in the middle of the game. Another turkey in the tenth and 215 for Verity, Raymond also hitting a tenth frame turkey for 227 and 442.
Splits hampering Raymond early in game 3 and one for Verity in the seventh frame. She fought back though with a turkey at the end for 213 Raymond also with a turkey and well fought 191 and 404 game.
Splits yet again troubling Raymond in game 4 but showing class and digging deep with a turkey to recover. Verity catching a double but rolling into trouble with a split in the ninth but bouncing back with a strike spare for 187. Raymond hitting a second turkey into the tenth for 213 and 400 game.
Third place at the halfway point and 113 pins behind the Dutch leaders, 58 pins behind Estonia in the Silver position and one pin behind Ireland in Bronze. Game 5 and Verity with two opens but Raymond closed through nine frames but no doubles. Verity with a double at the end for 190 and Raymond with 198 and 388 game.
Into the Bronze position with three to go and going ok in game 6 but Verity running into trouble in the sixth snd seventh frames with a split and and an open but Raymond closed over eight and two doubles in the game. A great finish by Verity and a turkey at the end for 196, Raymond adding another strike for a turkey and 255 for a 421 game.
Game seven and Raymond flying on strike spare and a foutbagger but Verity pegged back by a split in the 3rd but then all closed and adding a double. A four count split next but Verity spared in the ninth as Raymond opened. Double in the tenth for Verity and 201, Raymond with 215 for 416.
One game to go and 147 behind the Dutch in Gold and maybe a touch too far now but Estonia 47 ahead in Silver could still be caught. Raymond with a first frame open the only blip after two frames. Stips and starts as Verity throws a double then opens and Raymond doing the same. Verity hitting back with another double and Raymond back on strike in the sixth frame but opening in seventh with a split. Estonia finishing early with a 411 and 3305 meant it would be brilliant Bronze medal as Verity ended with 198 and 1580, Raymond with 182 and 1647 for an overall of 3227 and Bronze medal.
Block 3
Raymond Teece up first on Friday’s Block 3 and games 17-24 and firing an opening fourbagger then a four split four and then a fivebagger and spare for a fine 246.
Game 2 and Raymond striking for fun with front five then a nine spare. Ending sadly eith a split open in the tenth for 225. A dutch 200 pace in game 3 and strike spare’s to the seventh frame then a split open in eighth not helping and 187 on the board. Game four saw a return to strikes and a Spare followed by five in a row. He then went off the sheet for eleven in a row and 290.
Split fourbagger then split fourbagger in game 5 then off the sheet for 244. Game five going well with spare strike, spare and turkey early on. Ending with 214. Game seven going well with strike spare and turkey to start with. Raymond adding 212 to the total and sitting second overall.
If Raymond did not make a statement with the 290 then maybe 300 was needed and off he raced to front nine in the final game. Make that 12 and a perfect game. Add a 239 average 1918 block and 5361 overall and into the top spot and top 12 into the next round.
Verity Crawley back on Friday afternoon for games 17-24 and game 1 starting with 179. Game 2 going well with strike spare turkey but a split slowing progress. All closed later on and ending with a fourbagger for a much improved 224 and now leading overall.
Struggles in game three with a split and two opens and for now strikes missing up to the sixth frame. An open in the seventh and split open in the tenth and a game to forget with 146. Just a blip as game four saw spare strike spare fivebagger and strikes returning. 100 pins better this time and 246 logged.
Game five all good bar a split in the middle of the game but then another in the eighth and again in the tenth for a frustrating 154.
Struggles again in game six with two opens in the first six frames and splitting again in the ninth but sparing it and a game of 171. All closed in game seven until the seventh frame and yet another split causing issues. Ending with 182.
The final game and for a change we had two split opens from Verity. Some blocks just don’t always work out the way they could but more rhan safely into thd top 12 cut Verity would be able to test more of her arsenal in these last few games. Sitting comfortably in fourth and in reach of second in this last game but a split in the tenth and ending with 143 and 1445 for the block and 4636 overall.
Final Step 1 – Top 12
Eight more games on Saturday for Verity and Raymond with scores carried forward from qualifying. Raymond sitting top and 250 pins above 5th, Verity in fourth and two pins above the cut but with a chasing pack of Finland, Estonia, Germany and Sweden.
Raymond opening with a closed game and fourbagger at the end for 227 and Verity opening with three splits and sparing one but a fourbagger recovery later on and an open in tenth for 187.
Both going ok in the second game but Verity catching a Split open in the sixth frame after a turkey, with a double to start with and closed thereafter. It got worse for Verity with two more split opens. Raymond ending clean with 209, Verity with a saving turkey at the end for 187. Game 3 and Verity still struggling with splits but Raymond flying on a 290 pace after eight frames then halted by a split in the ninth frame. A Türkiye turkey tenth for Raymond and 255, Verity with a double in the tenth for 168.
Verity now 32 pins outside the top four cut but Raymond safe by 202 pins. Verity would now need to dig deep. The fresh oil had troubled her all week but scores came in the second half of the blocks, hopefully the same would be true today.
Game four and Raymond all closed until the eighth but carrying a double. Verity an open in first frame but closed through to the fifth. Raymond striking out for 204. Verity with two splits and looking in big trouble but fighting back with a double for 173.
Game 5 starting with a split for Verity then double and another split but Raymond closed through five then rocking in a turkey. Raymond ending with a closed game 209. Verity adding another double but a split tenth ending and 181.
Two to go and Raymond safe but Verity some work to do to get back in the top four and now only 17 pins adrift. Raymond going well in game five except for a split open in the fourth but covered by a double straight after. Verity opening with a Turkey then split and closed thereafter. Raymond finishing with 206 and Verity with her best game this block and 201.
Final Game and we would see Raymond in the Semi Finals but would we see Verity? Super close and gour countries all vying for that last spot in the finals. Sweden, Germany, Finland and our own Verity.
With Raymond in the Semi Finals, all eyes on Verity and two splits in four frames but one spared. Raymond doing Raymond things and three spares and three strikes. Verity another split in the sixth and time to start striking to safe her spot. Finland were flying and Verity not catching Germany and it was looking like a sad end to a promising week for Verity. Raymond ending 213 with and Verity with 165. One game to go and still a chance yet. Verity now 41 pins adrift but Raymond 229 ahead.
All apares in the first five frames for Verity, an open in the eighth not helping and Verity ending with a flurry of strikes right at the end for 194, a block of 1456 and overall of 6092. Ray with time to play atound with arsenal, shooting 173 and a block of 1696 and overall of 7057.
Semi Finals
No easy matches from here on in and a tough semi against talented Dutchman Jord van Weeren. Raymond opening with a turkey and spare as the dutchman hit split open spare and double. Jord making it a fourbagger but Raymond hitting a turkey. Van Weeren adding a spare and strike as Ray’s run ended with a nine spare in the eighth. Twenty pins up in the ninth and thd dutchman spares as Raymond also spares. The dutchman doubling in the tenth for 227 and Raymond with strike spare for 237 and one up.
Split open greeted Raymond in game two as Jord struck. Raymond back with a turkey as Jord spared and doubled.Ray msking it a fourbagger and spare as van Weeren spared and struck. Ray just two pins up in the sixth. Both striking in the seventh with Jord making it a double and both sparing in the eighth. Strike each in the ninth and this one going to the tenth. A doule then turkey from the dutchman and spare from Raymond and we were going to a decider. 217-233.
Game 3 and a double dutch strikes as Raymond struck and split opened. Raymond back with a strike as Jord spared in the third frame. Split and spare for Ray in the fourth as the dutchman struck then doubled. Raymond striking in the fifth but then a single pin missed spare. Advantage to the Netherlands going into the final frames.
With a 38 pin advantage the dutchman threw a split open and a chance for Raymond to claw back pins and he struck. As Jord struck in the eighth Ray hit a split and open and this one slipping away. The dutchman sensing victory fired a double in the ninth as Raymond spared. Just to be dure Jord van Weeren added another strike and spare to run out winner 2-1 222- Raymond’s 160. A second brilliant Bronze for Ray.
Results
Results will appear first on the Official website here https://bowlingresults.info/ecc/2026ending
Schedule