FINA Newsletter from Barcelona #3

Newsletter #3 // July 22, 2013

Team Ukraine makes world podium debut with bronze

Ukraine celebrated their first trip to the podium at a World Championship (in synchronised swimming) with a bronze-medal winning performance in the team technical routine. The podium was exclusively European with Russia and Spain finishing 1-2.

This evening at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi, the Russian team showed what they do best, scoring a brilliant 96.600 points for a fourth consecutive world title in the event. 
Svetlana Romashina and her teammates – four of which are returning athletes from the 2012 London Olympics and won gold at the 2009 and 2011 editions of the event (Patskevich, Timanina, Korobova and Shishkina) – performed a speedy routine, marked by perfect command of figures and transitions. 

The team from the host federation swam in conquered territory (the sport being very popular in Spain) and captured silver with a total 94.400 points. The Iberians’ lively routine combined excellent physical endurance, synchronisation and artistic talent. After taking two bronze in the solo and duet technical on day 1 and 2, tonight’s silver is a boost ahead of the free programmes. 

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Reigning world champion Gianniotis (GRE) wins men's 10km

Reigning world champion Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) soundly defeated two of his toughest rivals to win today's 10k event in Moll de la Fusta harbour. The Greek athlete is only the second male to successfully defend his world title, and the first since Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) in 2008.

In second place was Thomas Lurz (GER) was hoping to become the first man to win the event four times. Taking the bronze medal was Oussama Mellouli (TUN) who won the 5km race on Saturday, Lurz finished third. Gianniotis was fresh for today's 10km race as he did not contest the 5km held just 48 hours.

"It was unbelievable today", Gianniotis said. "I wanted to swim three laps comfortably and then get out in front on the final lap. Whenever anyone swam next to me I pushed up the pace. I'm quite good at sprinting. I watched Mellouli race in his 5km and I know that he has more speed than me. I pushed it a bit in the last 300m just to stay ahead of him. In the last 50m I never felt so bad. I almost fainted I was so tired."

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Fourth world 10m synchro gold for Chen

Olympic champion Ruolin Chen swooped to her fourth successive world 10m synchro gold medal when she partnered Huixia Liu to victory to bring China their third diving title in the first three days of the FINA World Championships.Chen, twice double Olympic champion in 10m individual and synchro, was diving at the Worlds with her fourth different partner but the result was the same as it had been at the last three editions of the championships: top spot on the podium by a big margin.

Diving against the stunning backdrop of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia basilica, with the city of Barcelona spread beneath, Chen and Liu flew high in a class of their own, soaring to gold with 356.28 points from their five final dives.Experience counted as Canada's Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, bronze medallists at the 2005 Worlds and the 2012 Olympics, took the silver(331.41) and Malaysia's Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Mun Yee Leong, world bronze medallists in 2009, bronze again (331.14).

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Li retains world 1m springboard title

Shixin Li became the first man to retain the world 1m springboard crown, stretching China's hold on the event and bringing the leading diving nation its second World Championship title in three days. But China, who had claimed gold and silver in the 1m event for the last three World Championships, were denied a second medal as European champion Illya Kvasha of Ukraine and Alejandro Chavez of Mexico claimed silver and bronze.

Li trailed for the first four rounds of the six-round final but was always in contention, finally seizing the lead in the fifth round with an excellent inward 2.5 somersaults.

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Greece opens men's water polo with stunning upset over Montenegro

Greece turned on the action tap and caused a huge upset in the opening match with a deluge of early goals against Montenegro for a 6-4 victory in the FINA Men's Water Polo World Championships at the Bernat Picornell Pool.

Just two weeks ago when the teams met in a four-nation tournament, world No 4 Montenegro thrashed Greece 11-4, but today it was all Greece as Montenegro was kept scoreless for the first half and gained two consolation goals in the final minute.

In the other Group A match, Spain defeated New Zealand 18-3 in the final encounter of the day with Felipe Perrone scoring five goals, the best of the day.

In Group B action, Croatia beat United States of America 9-7 and Canada outlasted South Africa 17-11.

In Group C, Serbia proved too strong for Australia, winning 10-7 and Hungary put away China 13-5 with an excellent display of poise and power.

In Group D, Italy started strongly and cruised home 9-4 over Romania, while Germany saw a 9-4 three-quarter-time lead diminished to 9-8 by fulltime against Kazakhstan.

Points after day one:

Group A: ESP 2, GRE 2, MNE 0, NZL 0.
Group B: CAN 2, CRO 9, USA 0, RSA 0.
Group C: HUN 2, SRB 2, AUS 0, CHN 0.
Group D: ITA 2, GER 2, KAZ 0, ROU 0.

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