SHANGHAI – Canada has won bronze in synchronized swimming at the world aquatic championships.
The Canadian team picked up its first medal of the week on Thursday in the free combination event, ending a string of fourth-place finishes.
“We’re really proud of our performance,” said Montreal’s Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon, one of 10 Canadian swimmers in the event. “We were primed to put on a good show and put an end to all these fourth places and we did.
”Our coach said it was almost perfect. Right after the song ‘Never Say Never’ came on and it really applied.”
Canada had finished fourth in the solo, duet and team technical events and in the free solo this week.
Russian’s Natalia Ishchenko won her fourth gold medal, helping her nine teammates finish with 98.470 points. China took the silver with 96.360 ahead of Canada’s 96.150.
Ishchenko won the solo routine on Wednesday and teamed with Svetlana Romashina to win the duet technical final a night after taking the technical solo gold. Russia also won the team technical competition and has swept all five events so far with two to go.
It’s Canada’s second medal at the championships, adding to a silver in diving in the women’s three-metre synchronized springboard from Emilie Heymans of St. Lambert, Que.,and Jennifer Abel of Laval, Que.
“Tonight was just a magic moment,” added Boudreau-Gagnon, as Canada defended the bronze it won at the 2009 world championships in Rome. “We pulled everything together. We just fought for it and got it.”
The other Canadian team members were Genevieve Belanger of Laval, Que., Stephanie Durocher of Repentigny, Que., Jo-Annie Fortin of Montreal, Chloe Isaac of Brossard, Que., Stephanie Leclair and Karine Thomas, both of Gatineau, Que., Tracy Little of Pointe-Claire, Que., Elise Marcotte of l’Ancienne-Lorette, Que., and Valerie Welsh of St-Nicholas, Que.
Friday has the free duet with Boudreau-Gagnon and Marcotte. They are in fourth place after Tuesday’s prelims.
In diving, Reuben Ross of Regina was 22nd and Francois Imbeau-Dulac of St.Lazare, Que., was 29th off the 3-metre springboard. Neither advanced to the next round.
On Friday, Heymans and Abel will compete in the women’s 3-metre board.
The Canadian women’s water-polo squad finished a perfect 3-0 in round robin play with an 11-4 win over New Zealand. They earned a bye to the quarter-finals, where they will face either China or Spain on Saturday.
Emily Jean Csikos led Canada with four goals and Krystina Alogbo had two.
The team struggled at times this season, but veteran Christine Robinson said things are coming together in China.
”We were still a young team,” she said. ”Our selection wasn’t solidified until we got here.
”Our chemistry is much better now. Once we knew who was on the team we were able to jell.”
In open water swimming, the Canadian team of Richard Weinberger of Victoria, Aimeson King of Oakville, Ont., and Zsofi Balazs of Toronto placed 10th in the five-kilomtre team competition, a new event. The U.S. won with Australia second and Germany third.
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