LONDON, ENGLAND -- Diane Buchanan, the Brossard, Quebec bankerwho has twice represented Canada in the AMF Bowling World Cup, is hoping her third time proves the charm.

Buchanan, who placed third and 12th in 2000 and 2001, respectively, overcame a 137-pin deficit during the two-day Canadian national qualifying finals this month in Quebec to win the women's competition. She and men's champion Merlin Bunnage will represent Canada in the 2002 AMF Bowling World Cup, October 20-26, at Toss Bowling Hall in Riga, Latvia.

Buchanan began the second day of competition in fourth place, but gamesof 254, 268 and 255 moved her into the lead with one game to go. She converted the 5-7 split midway through her final match against British Columbia's Joninne Wellings to win, 245-215. The margin of victory was enough to push her over the top for the tournament, with 3,615 total pins and a 225.94 average.

"I didn't even know which one of us [Joninne or me] was in front at the start of the last game," Buchanan told Journal de Montreal's Louis Senay afterward. "All I knew is that we were very close to each other."

The three-time Canadian champion, who rolled a perfect 300 game in the 2000 AMF Bowling World Cup, is averaging 201 in league play this year. Her personal bests include two 300 games and a three-game series of 780.

Completing the top five in the women's field were Sharon Tataryn of Manitoba, Julie Johnson-Loyer of Quebec, and Alberta's Kellie Hildebrandt,who represented Canada at the 1998 AMF Bowling World Cup in Kobe, Japan.

Bunnage, of Winfield, B.C., makes his international debut in Riga. His three-game run of 257-258-256 late in the second day of qualifying helped him bypass Brady Hildebrandt of Alberta and win by a comfortable 123-pin margin. Bunnage, who told Senay he gave up playing the Canadian small-ball version of bowling called five-pins three and one-half years ago to concentrate on tenpins, averaged 234.4 in the Canadian national qualifier, with 3,751 pins. He currently averages 207 in league play and has a high three-game series of 787, as well as one perfect game. Manitoba's Randy Kostenuk, Quebec's Len Brown, and defending Canadian World Cup champion Bob Woolley of Ontario placed third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in the men's finals.

The AMF Bowling World Cup, founded by AMF Bowling Inc., is the largest annual international sports competition in the world in terms of number of participating countries. Eighty-seven countries, one shy of the record set in 2000, competed in the 2001 AMF Bowling World Cup in Pattaya, Thailand, which was won by Norway's Kim Haugen and Japan's Nachimi Itakura. AMF Bowling Inc.and AKA International Group, which built host center Toss Bowling Hall, will sponsor this year's championship.

AMF Bowling Inc. is the world's largest bowling company, owning and operating more than 500 bowling centers around the world. AMF is also a world leader in the manufacturing and marketing of bowling products. The companyalso manufactures and sells PlayMaster, Highland and Renaissance billiards tables. Information about AMF is available on the Internet at www.amf.com.