If The Three Lions do not bring the FIFA World Cup home on July 19, England still has a reason to keep its chin up. Jessica Sillis turned the final day of the European Women’s Championship into her country’s biggest moment in years. Well, at least in bowling.
The English bowler won the Masters title on Saturday in Denmark, defeating Germany’s Laura Beuthner 2-1 in the final. It was England’s first and only medal of the championship, and it came in the final and most coveted individual event.
Of the 113 players at the championship, only 24 qualified for the Masters event. Sillis was just above the cut, advancing as the No. 22 seed. That meant the English bowler had to start from the opening step and win five matches to reach the top of the podium.
Her run began against Denmark’s Mika Guldbæk. Sillis lost the first game 195-167, but answered with 217 and 255 to win the match 2-1.
In Step 2, she faced Finland’s Peppi Konsteri. This time, Sillis did not need a third game. She won 237-209 and 214-182 to move into the quarterfinals.
There, another Danish opponent was waiting. Karen Kærgaard Nielsen, with a loud home crowd behind her, took the first game 226-193. But Sillis came back again, winning the next two games 224-189 and 217-209 to reach the semifinals.
That set up a semifinal against Sweden’s Nora Johansson, the singles champion. Johansson had already defended her singles gold earlier in the week and reached the Masters medal round after a tight quarterfinal win over Denise Blankenzee of the Netherlands.
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But Sillis was not interested in reputations.
Neither player opened the semifinal with a big score, but Sillis won the first game 170-148. She then took the second game 216-204 to win the match 2-0 and secure her place in the final.
Laura Beuthner reached the title match from the other side of the bracket. The German bowler defeated Denmark’s Sofie Kærgaard Nielsen 2-0 in the semifinal, winning 217-165 and 226-183.
The final went all three games.
Sillis won the opening game 205-189. Beuthner then answered in the second game, winning 238-235 by only three pins to force a deciding game.
In the final game of the championship, Sillis closed the run with her highest game of the title match. She defeated Beuthner 253-203 to win the Masters gold.
Beuthner earned silver for Germany. Nora Johansson and Sofie Kærgaard Nielsen took bronze after losing in the semifinals.
The Masters event closed the 2026 European Women’s Championship in Odense. Finland finished on top of the medal table with three gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals for seven total medals.
Germany finished with one gold, two silver and one bronze for four medals.
Sweden also collected seven medals, with one gold, one silver and five bronze. England finished with one gold medal, while host nation Denmark earned one silver and three bronze for four medals.
The next European Women’s Championship will take place in 2029. The event is scheduled for June 13-23 at Olympia Bowling in Helsingborg, Sweden.
