LONG BEACH, Calif. — The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team won its third consecutive world team title and U.S. Team member Martie Wells of Colton, Calif., became the first U.S. Men's Open
division water ski racing athlete in a decade to win the world water ski racing title Sunday as the 2003
Water Ski Racing World Championships concluded in Long Beach, Calif.
The U.S. Team tallied 15,461.58 points in defeating runner-up Australia (15,141.37 points) and
third-place finisher Great Britain (12,803.56 points) in the four-race biennial event that began on October 11.

The victory marked the United States' eighth world team title in the tournament's 13 occurrences.
Belgium, New Zealand and Canada rounded out the six-team field.
Other members of the 2003 U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team, all of which hailed from California, were: Marshall Cole of Calabasas, Carl Goldsmith of Long Beach, Debbie Nordblad of Claremont, Erin Saunders
of Agoura Hills, and Deanne Shannon of Orange, who won the bronze medal in Women's
Open.

Wells, 41, knocked off two-time defending world champion Stephen Robertson of Australia to win
his first career world title. He did it in impressive fashion, too, winning three of the events four races,
including Saturday's finale. He is the first U.S. Men's Open division athlete to win two or more races at the
world championships.