The World Flying Disc Federation ("WFDF") welcomed more than 3,000 athletes, coaches, and staff to the opening day of the WFDF 2018 World Ultimate Club Championships on Saturday, July 14. The premier Ultimate tournament for international club teams – as opposed to national all-star teams -- WUCC 2018 will see 128 teams from 36 countries face off in three divisions – Men’s, Women’s and Mixed – and 659 games over eight days of action in the northeast suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The opening showcase game, between the Netherlands’ GRUT and the USA’s Boston Wild Card, kicked off the first day of competition. In a game that came down to a double game point, Wild Card took the first win of the world club championships, winning 15-14 after a nail-biter that saw the victors come back from a 12-14 deficit.
The Opening Ceremony featured performances from local dancers, musicians and aerialists. Lebanon, OH’s energetic mayor Amy Brewer welcomed the athletes to the region, USA Ultimate CEO Tom Crawford thanked the local tournament staff led by Dale Wilker, and WFDF President Robert "Nob" Rauch gave a shout out to the four new countries to a WFDF world championship. The ceremony was capped off with skydivers landing on the showcase field while spectators cheered from the stands amid balloons and flags.
"Cincinnati is providing a great venue to showcase WFDF’s World Ultimate Club Championships," said Rauch. "We have 30 excellent fields and an incredibly experienced tournament staff and a great volunteer corps. It’s really fun to welcome four new countries to world championship competition: Argentina, Chile, Kenya, and Uruguay. All this in the 50th anniversary year since the development of the sport is making this a special event."
WUCC returns to the United States for the first time in 16 years, and this event builds on the success of past World Club Championships in Lecco, Italy in 2014 and Prague, Czech Republic in 2010. This year, WUCC achieved total gender balance for the first time, with 40 teams each in the Men’s and Women’s Divisions and 48 Mixed Gender teams. The event had been introduced in 1989 into WFDF’s event portfolio and, after several years of being held biannually, is now held every four years.
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