Kristina Krstic versus the World!

If Kristina Krstic thought that winning Commonwealth Games Gold in 2022 was great, and it was, World Championships Gold in 2023 would surely be the icing on the cake. That’s the opportunity that will present itself in August on the Gold Coast.

Krstic’s rise to stardom has been a path of perseverance and patience as the opportunities to break into a five person team full of World Champions have been few and far between.

In 2016, the most recent staging of the World Championships, the Australian Jackaroos women won gold in three of the four events –the singles, the triples and the fours.

Putting that timeframe into perspective, Karen Murphy is still the reigning back-to-back World Singles champion, seven years on from when that memorable trail of the jack secured the title. Murphy is now a key member of the Jackaroos coaching panel.

With teams selected for the World Bowls event scheduled for 2020, Krstic was still on the outside, however with Covid delaying the event until now, things have shifted in Krstic’s favour, and following last year’s amazing Commonwealth Games success, the naming of any other pairing to compete at World Bowls would have been a surprise.

There is a certain fairytale feel to the Krstic story. Knock on the door, over and over again, finally get the opportunity, and then win gold with your best friend. Perhaps the fairytale has an even happier ending?

Krstic will once again accompany Ellen Ryan in the pairs event in August, and instead of being the newcomers, the pair will instead need to deal with the pressure of tournament favouritism. Krstic will also join Kelsey Cottrell, Lynsey Clarke and Dawn Hayman in the fours event.

WA readers will be familiar with Hayman having seen her in action for the Perth Suns. Hayman gets her first chance at the highest level, and is another that has been in the long queue alongside Krstic. The Men's Jackaroos team features a returning Aaron Teys and Aron Sherriff, joining Aaron Wilson, Corey Wedlock and Carl Healey. Wilson, in particular, will be looking to add World Championship Singles gold to his back to back Commonwealth Games Gold Medal performances.

Rounding out the Australian team is the experienced pairing of Serena Bonnell and Cheryl Lindfield, competing in the Para Women’s Pairs, Damien Delgado and James Reynolds in the Para Men’s Pairs, and finally Jaqueline Hudson and Jake Fehlberg representing in the Vision Impaired Mixed Pairs.

The World Bowls Championships will be held across five Gold Coast clubs from August 29 to September 10, 2023.