Jason Belmonte facts for kids
Belmonte during the 2019 PBA World Championship
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Belmo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 July 1983 Orange, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Years active | 2000–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Kimberly Shapter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Ten-pin bowling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | PBA, WBT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World finals | 1 European Bowling Tour 1 World Tenpin Masters 1 WBT 1 AMF World Cup |
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| National finals | 31 PBA Tour (15 majors) 7x PBA Player of the Year |
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Medal record
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Jason Belmonte (born 29 July 1983) is an Australian professional bowler. He plays on the PBA Tour in the United States and in big world events. He is famous for being one of the first bowlers to use a special two-handed style to throw the ball.
Belmonte has won 31 titles on the PBA Tour. This includes a record 15 major championships, which are the biggest tournaments in bowling. He is one of only eight bowlers in PBA history to win 30 titles.
He is also one of only two bowlers to achieve the "Super Slam." This means he has won all five of the PBA's major titles. He has won the USBC Masters and PBA Tournament of Champions four times each. He is also the only bowler to win the PBA Players Championship three times.
Belmonte has been named PBA Player of the Year seven times. This ties the record set by another bowling legend, Walter Ray Williams Jr.. He was the fastest player to earn $1 million in PBA prize money. By 2022, he had earned over $2 million. He has also bowled at least 27 perfect 300 games in PBA events. Many people consider him one of the greatest bowlers ever.
In 2022, he was given the title of Member of the Order of Australia. This was for his great service to tenpin bowling at the highest level.
Contents
His Early Life
Jason Belmonte was born on 29 July 1983 in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. His dad, Aldo, opened a bowling alley called Orange Ten Pin Bowl when Jason was very young. Because of this, Jason started bowling when he was just 18 months old.
He found it hard to lift a heavy bowling ball with one hand. So, like many babies, he pushed the ball with both hands. This is how he developed his unique two-handed style. He uses only two fingers in the ball, not his thumb. This helps him make the ball spin more. He tried bowling with one hand when he was 7, but he didn't like it.
How He Became a Pro
When Belmonte first joined the PBA, he focused on throwing the ball with a lot of power. But then he watched other pros who could make the ball "dance." He learned to make his throws simpler. He slowed down his ball speed and approach. This helped him hit the pocket (the best spot to hit pins) more often. He could still get strikes even with less spin.
In 2022, his parents' bowling center got a special system. It tracks how the ball moves, its speed, and how much it spins. Belmonte said it was "scarily accurate." As of 2023, Belmonte travels with about 15 different bowling balls. Each ball is made differently to help him on various lane conditions.
GQ magazine said in 2023 that Belmonte has become a very important figure in bowling. Some people have even debated his two-handed style. He spends about six months a year away from his family for tournaments. But he says there is "an abundance of love there."
Amazing Wins and Records
International Success
When he was 17, Belmonte became the first Australian junior to bowl a 300 game outside of Australia. He won five gold medals at the Junior National Championships in 2000. He also joined the Youth Australia team.
Belmonte won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Championships in Scotland. He also won a silver medal at the WTBA World Youth Championships in Thailand.
In 2004, Belmonte won three gold medals at the Asian Youth FIQ in Hong Kong. He then won gold in singles and all events at the World Youth FIQ in Guam. He was named the 2004 Bowler of the Year by the World Bowlers Writers' Association.
Belmonte was invited to the 2005 World Tenpin Masters in England. He made history there by bowling the first-ever 300 game in that event. In 2007, he won the World Tenpin Masters. He bowled another 300 game in the final match.
He also won a gold medal with the Australian team at the 2006 World Youth Championships in Berlin. In 2011, he won the PTT World Bowling Tour Thailand. In 2022, he won the Devil's Lair Tasmania.
AMF World Cup
Jason Belmonte competed in the 2004 AMF World Cup in Singapore. He led the qualifying rounds for all five days. He finished in fifth place after being knocked out in the quarter-finals.
He competed again in the 2007 AMF World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia. He finished second after losing in the final.
In his third try, at the 2011 AMF World Cup in South Africa, he finally became the champion. He won a tough final match against Tommy Jones from the USA. Belmonte became the first Australian man to win this title. His score of 765 for three games was a new finals record.
Belmonte said he was happy to win after leading in 2004 and 2007 but not winning the final.
PBA Tour Highlights
In 2008, Jason Belmonte was given a special entry into a PBA tournament. He was not the first two-handed bowler, but his style made him interesting to the media. He won his first PBA tournament in 2009. This earned him a full spot on the PBA Tour. He was also named the 2008–09 PBA Rookie of the Year.
In November 2011, Belmonte won three PBA titles. He also bowled a perfect 300 game on TV in 2012. He won his fifth PBA title at the 2012 Australian Masters in Sydney, Australia.
In 2013, Belmonte won his first major PBA title at the USBC Masters. He won another title that season. He was named the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season. He was the first player not from the USA to win this award.
In 2014, Belmonte won his second major title at the PBA Tournament of Champions. He also became the first player in nearly 50 years to win the USBC Masters two years in a row. He won his second straight PBA Player of the Year award in 2014.
In 2015, he won the USBC Masters for the third time in a row. He also won the PBA Tournament of Champions for the second year in a row. He won his third straight PBA Player of the Year award in 2015.
In 2017, Belmonte had an amazing year. He won three major titles: the PBA Players Championship, his fourth USBC Masters, and the PBA World Championship. This made him the first PBA player to win three major titles in one season. He also won his fourth PBA Player of the Year Award.
In 2018, he won his 17th PBA title with his partner Bill O'Neill. He also won the PBA Tour Finals.
In 2019, Belmonte made history. He won his 10th major title at the PBA Tournament of Champions. This tied the record for most major titles. Then, he won his 11th major title at the 2019 PBA World Championship. This made him the all-time leader in major titles. He won his fifth PBA Player of the Year award in 2019. Bowlers Journal magazine named him the male Player of the Decade (2010–2019).
In 2020, Belmonte completed the "Super Slam" by winning the U.S. Open. This means he won all five of the PBA's major championships. He also won his third straight PBA World Championship. He won his sixth PBA Player of the Year Award in 2020.
In 2022, Belmonte had another incredible season, winning five titles. He won his 14th major title at the PBA Players Championship. He also bowled his 34th televised 300 game. He won his 30th career PBA Tour title. He led the PBA Tour in titles and earnings. He won his seventh PBA Player of the Year award, tying the record.
In 2023, Belmonte won his 15th major championship at the PBA Tournament of Champions. He became the first person in PBA history to win this event four times. He also bowled his 35th televised 300 game, becoming the only player with three televised perfect games.
Personal Life
Jason Belmonte is married to Kimberly Shapter. She is a registered nurse. They have two daughters and two sons. The family lives in Orange, New South Wales, Australia.
