POLK CITY, Fla. — The International Water Ski Federation has selected eight U.S. athletes to compete in water ski events at the 2001 Akita World Games, August 16-26, in Akita, Japan. The multi-sport event is hosted every four years and features sports not currently in the Olympics. Thirty-one sports, including five demonstration sports will be included in this year's World Games, the sixth such competition.

The waterskiing events include three-event overall, barefooting and wakeboarding. Rhoni Barton , Michael McCormick and Scott will participate in the three-event overall competition. Lane Bowers, Rachel George and Keith St. Onge will compete in the barefooting events. Gordy Bubolz and Loren Levine will represent the United States in wakeboarding. A total of 90 athletes and 20 judges selected by the IWSF will participate in the event.

"The eight U.S. athletes that the IWSF selected to compete at the Akita World Games are some of the world's best," said Lisa St. John, USA Water Ski's director of competition and athlete programs. "They will not only represent the United States well in competition, but they also will serve as great ambassadors of the sport off of the water."

Barton, a member of the 1999 U.S. Elite Water Ski Team, is currently ranked tenth in Women's overall on the IWSF World Rankings list, while McCormick and Smith are ranked fourth and seventh in Men's overall.

Bowers, George and St. Onge each won individual medals at the 2000 Barefoot Water Ski World Championships, and were members of the U.S. Elite Barefoot Water Ski Team that won the team gold medal at the 2000 Worlds in Fergus Falls, Minn.

Bubolz and Levine finished first and second in the Open Men's division at the USA Wakeboard Championships last August. Both athletes also competed at the inaugural IWSF Wakeboard World Championships last October in France as members of the U.S. Wakeboard Team, which earned the bronze medal.