Courtesy: FINA
The 10 teams and 22 duets taking part at the Artistic Swimming competition at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo (JPN) are now selected, after the Qualification event of the discipline, held in Barcelona (ESP), from June 10-13, 2021.
In the Team competition, three spots were at stake in the Catalonian capital, and the best among the seven participating delegations were Italy, Spain and Greece. The Italian squad was clearly superior after the technical and free presentation, amassing a total of 184.0249 points, while Spain was also quite consistent, getting the silver in 182.8506. The fight for the third and last place was quite thrilling, but in the end the Hellenic team was stronger, finishing in 175.9990. They notably left USA (fourth in 175.7882) and France (fifth in 174.8833) out of the Olympic action.
Italy, Spain and Greece joined the previously seven teams already qualified for the Games: host Japan, Egypt, Canada, Australia, China, Ukraine and ROC*. Moreover, in the case of Italy and Greece, they also allowed the qualification of their duet for the Olympics.
Precisely in the Duet event, nine spots were still undecided, after the previous qualification of 13 pairs: Egypt, Canada, Japan, ROC*, Australia, China, Ukraine, South Africa, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Spain, but also Italy and Greece (through the team performance).
Out of the 23 nations that competed in the event, the best of the field were the Austrian sisters Anna-Maria Alexandri and Eirini Alexandri, who got a combined result (after the technical and free presentation) of 182.8053 (the only ones above 180 points). Still on the podium, Vasilina Khandoshka and Daria Kulagina, from Belarus, secured the silver in 176.6593, while another pair of sisters, Charlotte and Laura Tremble, from France, got the bronze in 176.4601. The list of the remaining six countries qualifying their duets for the Games included: Netherlands, USA, Israel, Great Britain, Liechtenstein (first-time ever) and Colombia.
QUALIFIED DUETS AND TEAMS IN BARCELONA:
Duet (combined results after Technical & Free routine):
1. Anna-Maria Alexandri/Eirini Alexandri (AUT), 182.8053; 2. Vasilina Khandoshka/Daria Kulagina (BLR), 176.6593; 3. Charlotte Tremble/Laura Tremble (FRA), 176.4601; 4. Bregje de Brouwer/Noortje de Brouwer (NED), 176.0288; 5. Ruby Remati/Lindi Schroeder (USA), 174.6085; 6. Eden Blecher/Shelly Bobritsky (ISR), 171.2290; 7. Kate Shortman/Isabelle Thorpe (GBR), 170.9562; 8. Lara Mechnig/Marluce Schierscher (LIE), 167.6689; 9. Estefania Alvarez Piedrahita/Monica Arango Estrada (COL), 166.0149
Team (combined results after Technical & Free routine):
1. Italy, 184.0249; 2. Spain, 182.8506; 3. Greece, 175.9990
*ROC: Russian Olympic Committee
World Series Super Final
In parallel with the organisation of the Olympic qualification, the Super Final of the annual Artistic Swimming World Series also took place in Barcelona. Canada, Italy and Russia clearly dominated operations, taking most of the gold medals at stake.
Medallists of the World Series Super Final:
Solo Technical: 1. Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 90.4573; 2. Lara Mechnig (LIE), 84.1573; 3. Nicole Dzurko (USA), 82.0876
Solo Free: 1. Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 92.1000; 2. Anita Alvarez (USA), 88.1332; 3. Mireia Hernandez Luna (ESP), 86.3668
Duet Technical: 1. Claudia Holzner/Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 90.5040; 2. Vasilina Khandoshka/Daria Kulagina (BLR), 87.6593; 3. Bregje de Brouwer/Noortje de Brouwer (NED), 87.5620
Duet Free: 1. Claudia Holzner/Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 91.8332; 2. Vasilina Khandoshka/Daria Kulagina (BLR), 89.0000; 3. Bregje de Brouwer/Noortje de Brouwer (NED), 88.4668
Team Technical: 1. Italy, 90.7917; 2. Spain, 90.5506; 3. Canada, 88.9380
Team Free: 1. Italy, 93.2332; 2. Spain, 92.3000; 3. Canada, 90.4668
Men Solo Technical: 1. Aleksandr Maltsev (RUS), 90.9322; 2. Dennis Gonzalez Boneu (ESP), 77.0284
Men Solo Free: 1. Giorgio Minisini (ITA), 88.8668; 2. Dennis Gonzalez Boneu (ESP), 79.4668
Mixed Duet Technical: 1. Aleksandr Maltsev/Olesia Platonova (RUS), 92.2651; 2. Emma Garcia/Pau Ribes (ESP), 86.0043
Mixed Duet Free: 1. Mayya Gurbanberdieva/Aleksandr Maltsev (RUS), 94.0000; 2. Giorgio Minisini/Lucrezia Ruggiero (ITA), 88.6332; 3. Emma Garcia/Pau Ribes (ESP), 86.4000
Mixed Team Free Combination: 1. Hungary, 77.7668
Mixed Team Highlight: 1. Canada, 89.8000; 2. Hungary, 76.4332