Sharon Sims. Photo / Simon Baker
With three world championship titles and a Commonwealth Games gold medal to her credit, Sharon Sims ranks as New Zealand's most successful international women's bowler, ahead of such legends as Elsie Wilkie, Cis Winstanley, Millie Khan and Marlene Castle.
But Sims still has a hunger for more, and
she said she had a considerable optimism as she rated her chances in the upcoming world championships starting in Christchurch.
Sims will skip the Khan sisters, Jan and Marina, in the triples and will be at three with the Khans in the Jo Edwards-skipped four.
"The feeling among the team is positive and we've all had plenty of time on the greens," she said.
None of the New Zealand women's team could make the final in any of the disciplines at the recent national championships, but Sims did not feel that necessarily would be a disadvantage.
"The nationals were useful match practice, but we didn't want to peak there," she said.
To stay fresh for the world championships all of the women's players had opted to miss one event.
In Sims' case that allowed her to freshen herself up in the comfort of her Palmerston North home before returning to Christchurch.
In the fours and triples Sims believes New Zealand's toughest opposition will come from the Australians and the Malaysians, particularly as they have spent considerable time in Christchurch adjusting to the greens.
She also expects the combinations from the Northern Hemisphere to make a quick readjustment to the greens, particularly as those they used indoors are nearer New Zealand speed. Sims said all the world's best women players had come to New Zealand and that would mean tough competition for Edwards and Val Smith in the pairs and Smith in the singles.
Ireland's Margaret Johnstone, with six world titles, and Malaysia's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Siti Zalina Ahmad loom as a major singles contenders, as did England's Ellen Falkner, who was in the winning world championship four of 2004.
Also in this triumphant four was Amy Monkhouse, who this year is skipping England's triples and fours.
Another reigning world champion who will be in Christchurch is South Africa's Loraine Victor, who was in the triple which won in 2004.
