Russia Wins Six Gold, but Spain Is the Overall Best
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rd Saturday, 23 July 2009 - Newsletter # 999 After the seventh and final event in Synchro Russia wins six gold, but Spain is the overall best In the last event – Team Free - of the atmosphere and their only challengers in terms synchronised swimming competitions of these of the volume of applauses at the Foro Italico After day 8 13th FINA World Championships, Russia were the Spaniards, led by the charismatic conquered its sixth gold medal, beating once Gemma Mengual. more Spain and China, who got respectively the Gold Silver Bronze TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL silver and bronze. Despite these successes, the Another positive outcome of this competition regularity of the Iberians in Rome was rewarded was the re-emergence of Canada as one of the with the FINA Trophy for the best nation in the powers in this artistic discipline. Having won CHN 7 5 7 191919 competition: in the Italian capital, Spain their last medals at the 2001 FINA World RUS 7 3 2 121212 conquered one gold (Free Combination, where Championships (in Fukuoka, JPN), the GER 3 0 0 333 GBR 2 0 0 222 the Russians were absent) and six silver Canadians had lost some momentum in the last medals (in the events Russia came first – solo, editions of the championships, a troubling ESP 1 6 0 777 ITA 1 1 4 666 duet and team, both in technical and free). circumstance for a nation that was one of the AUS 1 1 1 333 pioneers of synchronised swimming worldwide. MEX 1 0 0 111 In front of a huge crowd at the Foro Italico, In Rome, Canada got two medals – bronze in USA 0 5 1 666 Russia confirmed the first place of the the Solo Technical and Free Combination -, and CAN 0 1 4 555 preliminaries and finished with a total of 99.167 showed to the world a new and bright GRE 0 1 0 111 (including two perfect ‘10’), while the Spaniards generation of swimmers, led by Marie-Pier BRA 0 0 1 111 “skeletons” (their swimsuit depicted the human Boudreau Gagnon and Eve Lamoureux. CUB 0 0 1 111 bones) were second in 98.167. The same MAS 0 0 1 111 difference (one point) separated the silver from This evolution and the appearance at the RSA 0 0 1 111 the bronze, conquered by an inspired Chinese highest level of new countries deserved a TOTAL 232323 232323 232323 696969 team (97.167). positive comment from Anna Tarres, the head coach of Spain: “It is an opportunity to develop After the seven events on the programme, the sport. In the global market, synchro is still a Russia and Spain were naturally the strongest minor sport, so the fact that more countries are real national sport and where the swimmers are nations in Rome, but China was surely the best winning medals; this can be a good source for considered stars. In the Italian capital, the example of a team that is steadily progressing future development and it definitively makes Japanese participated in all events and were over the years – before this championships, this discipline more interesting to follow for the always in the top-six, but their best they had never medalled at this level, but after fans and the media,” she considered. classification was fourth in the duet technical their performances in the Italian capital, they final. take home four bronze and one silver medal. A On the side of deceptions at these great success for a country that was far from championships, two countries need be On the teams to watch in the future, it is worth the podium area some years ago, but has made mentioned: USA and Japan. If in the first case, noting the national squads of Ukraine and a huge progress, namely thanks to the hiring of the decline of the Americans was visible since France. Overall, the advantage goes to the a Japanese coach. Noteworthy is that China is the 2005 edition in Montreal, the performances Eastern Europeans, but the French are not betting on the solo events, just presenting in Rome will oblige those responsible for this progressing well and presented on the last day its competitors in duet, team and free sport in the US to certainly review their strategy: a very original team free programme (seventh combination. no participation in solo, duet free and free position). Great Britain is also doing a combination, seventh in team technical, eighth remarkable effort in the lead-up to the 2012 Together with China, Italy was a newcomer to in team free and 12th in duet technical. A very Olympic Games in London, having occupied in the podium of the FINA World Championships, poor result for a nation that have accumulated Rome positions between the seventh and 10th certainly deserving the bronze medal by 25 medals in the history of the World place. Beatrice Adelizzi in the Solo Free event. Championships. Normally ranked fifth/sixth in the world, the Italians have presented very solid routines, and Also disappointing was Japan. With a total of 39 besides the medal, they were fourth on two medals since 1973, these were the first occasions – Solo Technical and Free championships in which the Japanese Combination. In front of their fans, the Italians swimmers did not get a single medal! A were obviously thrilled to swim in such an “tragedy” in a country where this discipline is a suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. improvement for him and will certainly be a OPEN WATER motivating factor for his career. Following the Maurer back on top in the 25km By the conclusion of their 7th lap, Pankina, who race he admitted he “really wanted to win a would finish in just 9th, was leading, followed by medal this week,” and that he had “learnt a lot Angela Maurer (GER), already an open water Grimaldi and Maurer. These three set the pace after the 5km earlier in the week, which gave for some time, but not without appearances at me some good experience and I just hoped I icon, has earned another medal to add to her the front by Eva Fabian, and Celia Barrot would be able to use that today.” FINA World Championship collection after winning the 25km at Ostia Beach. She is now (FRA), who placed 5th in the end. Vitale had the owner of eight medals from various FINA started to make her move towards the lead, and On his result, Dyatchin said: “I am satisfied with Championships - 4 bronze, 2 silver, and now 2 Margarita Dominguez (ESP) was also regularly having won a medal after the Beijing 2008 gold (both of her titles are in the 25km, the first applying pressure. Domingue would end up Olympic Games (at which he competed in the of which she earned in 2006). Maurer touched taking the frustrating fourth position at the 10km but was disqualified), even though I won conclusion of the race. gold in Melbourne in 2007.” Dyatchin has been home in 5h47m48, with silver medallist Anna Uvarova (RUS) finishing in 5h47m51, and a force at FINA World Championships, and this Federica Vitale – giving the large Italian crowds With 1500m left to go, Dominguez, Maurer and bronze represents the eighth medal he has gathered along the shoreline something to Grimaldi were battling it out for the medals. But collected since 2001 (3 bronze, 2 silver and 3 cheer about – took bronze in 5h47m52. unlike in the men’s race, numerous other gold). swimmers were right on their heels and they were facing a considerable challenge if they Race highlights Afterwards, Maurer explained: “My goal in Rome was a medal and I got gold,” adding that wanted to hang on to the top-3. It was a very Cleri moved to the head of the pack early and she made use of all her experience to win. close, fast finish considering the momentous more or less stayed there until the end, Regarding the conditions, she noted that “with distance they had crossed, and in the end although there was some rotation in the waves it is important to swim in the lead”, and Maurer’s experience gave her the edge and she leadership in the opening stages of the that although she likes the heat and the waves is World Champion once again. distance. Notably Libor Smolka (CZE) led for a time at around the 2h20m mark, as did Bertrand “today there was a little too much”. Cleri gives Italy first Gold Venturi (FRA) after about 3h. Venturi would Uvarova, who has never before won a World eventually finish in a strong 6th place. Shortly Championship medal, was a little more explicit Valerio Cleri has given Italy its first gold medal after, Bryan Ryckeman (BEL), who would when she mentioned the course: “It was very of these 13th FINA World Championships by remain a contender until the end and finish in difficult because of the sea. It was really wavy.” winning the men’s 25km open water race at 4th place, took the lead and would proceed to Ostia Beach today in a time of 5h26m31. The periodically race side-by-side with Cleri (likely She attributed her presence on the podium to her finish, saying she was very satisfied with silver went was Australia’s Trent Grimsey, who as a strategic move). As the swimmers reached her final sprint. “In the last lap I sped up, I swam touched home almost 20 seconds later in the 15km mark, the situation remained very fast. When I realised I was third, I aimed at 5h26m50, and Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) unchanged.