All those close calls are forgotten now – Norway are world team champions for the first time. In an impressive performance, the Norwegians defeated USA 1 334-245.5 to win the Bermuda Bowl.

That makes up for this list of near misses in the Bermuda Bowl – second in Chile in 1993, third in Tunisia in 1997, second in Paris in 2001 and third in Monaco in 2003.

The champions are Boye Brogeland, Glenn Groetheim, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Erik Saelendsminde and Ulf Tundal. Their non-playing captain is Sten Bjertnes, and the coach is Vegard Brekke.

With the victory, Brogeland, Groetheim and Saelensminde became WBF Grand Masters.

In the other championship settled on Saturday, the Zimmermann team overcame at 4-IMP deficit on the final deal of their match with Team Russia to win the World Transnational Open Teams 103-99. Zimmermann had lost the lead on the penultimate deal when Russia bid and made a slam that was defeated at the other table. On the final deal, Zimmermann stopped in 3♠, just making, while at the other table game was bid and defeated by two tricks for minus 200. The 8-IMP swing gave the title to Zimmermann, a Swiss-French-Italian squad.

Also at the tournament, Hansa Narasimhan and JoAnna Stansby, members of the winning Venice Cup team, became Women’s Grand Masters.