Hyman, a right-hander from Dyer, Ind., beat Liza Clutario of the Philippines 400-390 in the two-game championship match at Pyramid Megalanes. Hyman advanced to the title games with a 189-147 victory over Korea’s Lee Eun Ock in the stepladder semifinal.

Australia’s Michael Little earned the men’s gold medal with a 430-375 victory over Team USA’s Tim Mack, Garfield, N.J. Little opened the stepladder with a 179-174 triumph over Mohammed Al Qubaisi of the United Arab Emirates.

The gold and silver gave the U.S. a final total of nine medals, best of any country this year and its best since earning 11 in 1987. Sweden was next with five medals while England had four. Sweden and England had the most gold medals with three each.

Hyman and Mack had roles in all nine U.S. medals.

Besides her Masters gold, Hyman captured silver in all-events, silver in doubles (with Lucy Sandelin) and bronze in trios (with Sandelin and Anita Manns).

Mack collected five medals. He earned gold in trios (with Bill Hoffman and Dino Castillo) and silver in singles, all-events, Masters and team (with Hoffman, Castillo, David Haynes and Scott Pohl).

The 2003 event featured more than 600 competitors from 65 countries. It featured 16 records broken plus 300 games by Italy’s Amedeo Spada, England’s Darren Cundy, Finland’s Kimmo Lehtonen and Sweden’s Martin Larsen and Anders Ohman.

This was the last FIQ World Championships where the men and women will compete at the same time. The sport’s popularity and the event’s increasing size will require separate championships in the future.

Beginning with the 2005 women’s championship in Aalborg, Denmark, and the men's championship in Korea in 2006, there will be a FIQ World Championship every year. Mexico will host the women in 2007.