BARCELONA, Spain, 20 July 2003 — Russia took their third straight team title in synchronized swimming at the world swimming championships here yesterday.
It was the second gold of the championships for the Olympic champions who earned a string of maximum 10 marks for perfection for their program to the theme of eagles.
The eight-member team earned 99.500 points for the free routine, which gave them a final overall total of 98.750 when combined with technical results from earlier in the week, to push their nearest challengers Japan into silver medal position for the third time with an overall 98.334.
The bronze went to the United States, who finished just ahead of hosts Spain, with 96.834.
The Russian team included Olga Brusnikina, Maria Gromova, Maria Kiseleva, Elena Ovtchinnikova, Elvira Khassianova, Anna Shorina, Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Yermakova.
It was the third medal of the championship for Yermakova, who won the duet title with Davydova earlier in the week, and a silver in the solo behind France’s Virginie Dedieu. The Japanese had to settle for silver again, but team member Miho Takeda said they were just focusing on the positive.
Local girl Gemma Mengual missed out on the chance to become the first Spaniard to win four swimming medals at a single world championships after winning two bronze in the solo and duet and sharing silver in the inaugural free routine combination.
And the Americans admitted that they felt that they had spoilt the day for the partisan home crowd.
The Canadians, winners of two bronze at the last worlds, and third in the Olympics behind Russia and Japan in the team event, achieved their best finish, a fourth, in the free routine combination in which the Russians didn’t compete.
