Worksop: Nearly but not quite for Seamen as he take World Championship bronze

Kev Seaman took bronze at the World Pool Championships

Seamen headed to the event in Perth as the defending seniors champion after winning the singles crown two years ago.

But this time, he had to settle for third place and a bronze medal after an impressive defence of his crown.

And he feels the tournament scheduling may have played a part in his failure to make the final.

“Last time we had both the semi-finals and finals on the last day but this time, they just wanted the various finals on the last day, so the semi-finals all had to be played earlier,” he said.

“It meant that for me, I ended up playing my semi-final very late at night and I think that affected my game a bit as I lost 6-1.”

“We’ll never know if things might have been different had we played the game the next day, but it could have been.”

Seamen could take some consolation from the fact that his semi-final conqueror, Scotsman Alan Maxwell, went on to win the title the next day.

Seaman gained consolation when he beat European champion David Kelly in the bronze-medal match.

“With me being world champion and David being European champion, I think everyone expected it to be us in the final but it was not to be,” said Seamen.

“As well as the singles, Seaman also competed in the speed pool event and the team event but there was no doubles event this time – a title he also won two years ago.

“I guess that means I’m still the reigning world champion in doubles,” he chuckled.

He is also now world champion in the team speed pool discipline.

“The speed pool is teams of three and all the competing countries take part against each other,” explained Seaman.

“The first man goes and when he’s cleared the table, the second starts on the next table and the third.”

“The winner is the first team to clear three racks and luckily, we were faster than the others on the day.”

In the main team event, Seamen and England also got to the semi-finals where they lost to Ireland.

They then faced Scotland in the bronze-medal game but it was the hosts who won to leave England in fourth.