MEDAL TABLE 1 CHN 6 6 3 15 2 RUS 6 2 1 9 3 USA 3 1 1 5 The FINA World Championships Herald - 2015 Friday, 31 July № .Mega mix. MALTSEV AND VALITOVA LEAD THE WAY ON ANOTHER GREAT NIGHT FOR RUSSIA Russia’s dominance of the synchro- in the mixed duet free program. successful debut in a FINA event. nised swimming events continued For Romashina and Ishchenko it was yet The mixed duo was the last to perform with two more triumphs yesterday. another addition to a glittering career on the night and they overhauled Golden girls Svetana Romashina and that has now seen them win 39 golds America’s Bill May and Kristina Natalia Ishchenko added free duet between them at World Champion- Lum-Underwood to win gold to their success in the technical ships. For Maltsev and Valitova, though, by 0.266 of a point. That avenged discipline before Aleksandr Maltsev it was a triumph at the fi rst time of a narrow defeat in Sunday’s and Darina Valitova took the top prize asking as mixed free synchro made a technical program. >>>>>> P 56 The FINA World Championships Herald-2015 Friday, July 31, 2015 SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMERS PERFORM ALL THEIR ACROBATIC FEATS WITHOUT DAY TOUCHING THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING • FINAL SWIMMING By Matthew Luxmoore, photo: Rinat Nazmetdinov By Kirill Shlykov New-look Australia ready to shine Sunday sees the start of the swimming competition at the FINA World Championship. Australia, traditionally a strong performer at this event, ar- rived in Kazan on Wednesday and the team is looking to get over a disappointment at the last Olympics. he days of the ‘Thorpedo’, the unstoppable Ian Thorpe, terrorising swimming pools Taround the world, are long gone and Australian swimming is waiting for a new generation to emerge. In London, the worst Olympic results for 20 years generated a scandal – and much hand-wringing – down under but the team is regrouping under a new coach, Dutchman Jacco Verhaeren, and the mood in the camp in Kazan is already very di erent. “I wasn’t there in 2012 so I can’t say much about that, but this team has been phenom- MALTSEV AND VALITOVA enal with me,” he said. “I haven’t had any bad experiences. I think a lot of the work had been done before I came in so I can play it safe. The LEAD THE WAY FOR RUSSIA team runs itself and it’s a pleasure to man- age them.” Cont. from page 1 Italy’s pair was the first team to win multiple older than her compatriot Anastasia Davydova The athletes also are trying to forget what synchro medals for the country at a single world was when she won in 2009. went wrong in London and deliver medals in Maltsev described that defeat as “bitter”, but championships. Yesterday’s bronze equals the Asked about the details of future performanc- Kazan. The biggest hopes hang on Cate Camp- victory was a personal triumph as the 20-year- result they achieved in the duet technical rou- es, she remained secretive as ever, merely prom- bell and Christian Sprenger, both of whom ar- old delivered the perfect riposte to anyone who tine last Sunday, which was their first synchro- ising reporters “you won’t be disappointed.” rive with gold medals from previous Worlds had told him that synchronised swimming was nised swimming medal since Beatrice Adeliz- China created a tense atmosphere in the and Olympics. a woman’s sport. zi won bronze in the solo free routine in 2009. pool, combining a bass-heavy soundtrack with “It’s always hard when we race against the “I started synchro at the age of 7, when my It was clear how much that meant when slow, elegant movement. Yet Huang Xuechen, Europeans,” said Campbell. “You can’t underes- parents took me to a class. When I started get- Giorgio Minisini and Mariangela Perrupato with 13 medals Asia’s most decorated synchro- timate anyone at a World Championship, even ting better my dream was to perform at an of- jumped into each others’ arms following the nised swimmer at world championship lev- in the year before the Olympics. “Anyone can ficial championship, and now that dream has announcement of their score. el, and partner Sun Wenyan could not match step up on the day and take what you per- come true,” he said. “A lot of people are down “I didn’t sleep last night as I was so thinking Russia and once again had to settle for silver. ceive to be your place in the final. People al- on the idea of men in synchro, not only in Rus- so hard about today. We really wanted a medal, Ukraine came third, a result that Lolita ways raise their performance, especially when sia but in other countries as well. But my close and we finally made it,” Minisini said. Ananasova and Anna Voloshyna deemed a ma- they have a chance of getting to Rio.” friends supported me and told me if I carry on The mixed competition came right after Ro- jor success. “Our trainer prepared our fighting Some have claimed that this year’s compe- I’ll achieve my ambitions.” mashina and Ishchenko produced yet another spirit. This was a long journey for Ukraine and tition is somewhat devalued due to the num- The pair performed to excerpts from Tchaik- peerless performance. The duet, fast becoming I believe this first medal for us is only the be- ber of athletes who are absent due to inju- ovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” and their atmospher- the queens of the 2015 World Championships, ginning,” Voloshyna said. ry, suspension or a simple reluctance to dis- ic routine evoked the dark side of tragic legend. scored an incredible 98.2000 to beat the Chi- rupt long-term preparations for the Olympics. That earned them an impressive 91.7333 points, nese by two clear points and fulfill the expecta- Synchronised swimming. But Sprenger insists that any medal is just ahead of the USA’s pair. tions of a typically lively home crowd. Duet, free program worth full value here. The ballet theme also inspired May and Lum- Their energetic program explored sever- Svetlana Romashina / “I think whenever you get a World Champi- Underwood, who produced an acrobatic dis- al classically-inspired soundtracks and moods, 98.2000 Russia Natalia Ishchenko onship you see the best athletes in the world play featuring mock violence and an apocalyp- keeping the crowds agog with excitement. at that time,” he said. “If someone’s injured China Huang Xuechen / tic soundtrack derived from Stravinsky’s “The Russia had a perfect record going into this 95.9000 Sun Wenyan or someone can’t come that’s just how it is. Firebird”. They led the field until the final per- event, having won all four gold medals at prior If you are crowned world champion this year formance before settling for silver. world championships. But clear favourites Ro- Lolita Ananasova/ it’s as valuable as any other time. You’ve beat- 93.6000 Ukraine Anna Voloshyna For Bill May, a silver medal caps off a cham- mashina and Ishchenko, number one and two en the best in the world, and that’s some ac- pionship in which he already secured gold with on the all-time gold medal list, never looked like complishment even if the favourite isn’t there.” Christina Jones last Sunday in the mixed duet they were under pressure. Synchronised swimming. The athletes are also looking forward to technical event to deny hosts a sweep of gold “Our trainer nurtures and educates us from Mixed duet, free program competing in Arena Kazan – a converted foot- medals. Despite his 36 years, May vowed to keep childhood, and it is only that collective work Aleksandr Maltsev/ ball stadium will be a new experience for most going and he was full of praise for his Russian that brings us such results,” Romashina said. 91.7333 Russia Darina Valitova of them. And although they’ve had little time hosts and their commitment to the sport. With 22 medals, Ishchenko is now the most to explore Kazan, they’ve been impressed with USA Bill May/ “Russia pushes synchronised swimming and decorated synchronized swimmer in world 91.4667 Kristina Lum-Underwood what they’ve seen. Verhaeren confirmed that has developed the discipline greatly. I have also championship history, moving ahead of Spain’s his team was well looked after: “From what received nothing but the warmest of welcomes Gemma Mengual. At 29 she also becomes the Giorgio Minisini/ I’ve seen, Kazan has done a great job so far.” 89.3333 Italy Mariangela Perrupato here in Kazan,” he said. oldest world champion in this event, three years 56 56 The FINA World Championships Herald - 2015 Friday, July 31, 2015 THE MOST FAMOUS OPEN WATER CHALLENGE IS SWIMMING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. THE ROUTE FROM DOVER TO CALAIS IS AT LEAST MILES KM BUT CURRENTS AND CONDITIONS CAN MAKE IT MUCH LONGER. THE FIRST RECORDED CROSSING WAS IN WHEN ENGLAND’S MATTHEW WEBB COMPLETED IT IN HOURS, MINUTES. DIVING • WOMEN`S • FINAL By Andy Potts, photo Ramil Gilvanov KOREAN SENSATION STUNS THE CHINESE There was a huge shock in the women’s 10m plat- scoring throughout the competition until form diving as unknown North Korean youngster the vital fi nal moments. Kim was down in third as the trio Kuk Hyang Kim emerged from nowhere to produce went into the fi nal round, with all three a gold medal performance. attempting a 2.5 back somersault / 1.5 twist pike – the toughest dive on the he event turned into a battle in this event but I hope that we will program – to conclude.