U.S. National Synchro Team Ready For FINA World Championships

The U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Team hopes to build on its recent success when the FINA World Championships begin Friday in Budapest, Hungary.

The U.S. will compete in solo, duet, mixed duet and team July 14-22. Around 2,500 athletes in synchronized swimming, swimming, open water swimming diving, high diving and water polo will take part in the championships.

The U.S. synchro squad won gold in the team event at last month’s Synchro America Openpresented by Le Rêve – The Dream, a FINA World Series event. As a result, the squad earned Best of June honors for the United States Olympic Committee’s Team USA Awards presented by Dow.

In addition, the mixed duet of Bill May (Cicero, N.Y./Las Vegas) and Kanako Spendlove (Las Vegas) won gold, and Anita Alvarez (Kenmore, N.Y.) and Victoria Woroniecki won bronze in duet at the Synchro America Open.

Competing for the U.S. at the FINA World Championships are:

• Team – Anita Alvarez (Kenmore, N.Y.); Elizabeth Davidson (Northridge, Calif.); Nicole Dzurko (Monte Sereno/Los Gatos, Calif.); Rachel Jager (Williamsville, N.Y); Jacklyn Luu (Milpitas, Calif.); Louisa Strutynski (Carmel, Calif./Calgary, Alberta); Alexandra Suarez (San Diego, Calif.); Karensa Tjoa (San Jose, Calif.); Natalia Vega (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico); Monica Velazquez-Stiak (Phoenix, Ariz.); and Victoria Woroniecki (Palm Coast, Fla.).
• Solo tech – Anita Alvarez (2016 Olympian)
• Duet – Anita Alvarez and Victoria Woroniecki
• Mixed Duet – Bill May and Kanako Spendlove

The U.S. squad has been training together for only a couple of months, but team coach Jenny Ekhilevsky said they are headed in the right direction.

“These are brand-new routines for both of our programs, for eight people who are swimming together for the first time,” she said. “But they’ve done a great job from where we came from.”

The mixed duet competition made its FINA Worlds debut two years ago in Kazan, Russia, where May won gold and silver. He’ll be back this time around with Spendlove, a silver medalist for Japan at the 2004 Olympics. May and Spendlove, who are in the Cirque du Soleil show “O” in Las Vegas, are coached by Chris Carver, a former Olympic coach for Team USA.

For more on the FINA World Championships, go to https://www.fina.org/event/17th-fina-world-championships.

2017 FINA World Championships Synchronized Swimming Schedule

All times local

Friday, July 14

11 a.m. – Solo Technical Prelim

4 p.m. – Duet Technical Prelim

Saturday, July 15

11 a.m. – Solo Technical Final

7 p.m. – Mixed Duet Technical Prelim

Sunday, July 16

11 a.m. – Duet Technical Final

7 p.m. – Team Technical Prelim

Monday, July 17

11 a.m. – Mixed Duet Technical Final
7 p.m. – Solo Free Prelim

Tuesday, July 18

11 a.m. – Team Technical Final

7 p.m. – Duet Free Prelim

Wednesday, July 19

11 a.m. – Solo Free Final

7 p.m. – Team Free Prelim

Thursday, July 20

11 a.m. – Duet Free Final

7 p.m. – Free Combo Prelim

Friday, July 21

11 a.m. – Team Free Final

7 p.m. – Mixed Duet Free Prelim

Saturday, July 22

11 a.m. – Free Combo Final

7 p.m. – Mixed Duet Free Final

For more information on USA Synchro, visit http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Synchronized-Swimming.aspx, facebook.com/usasynchro and @usasynchro

Synchronized Swimming news courtesy of USA Synchro.