Golden finish synchronized and bronze on a ten-meter tower: the results of the ninth day of the World Championships in water sports

With head held high

The Russian national team in synchronized swimming has closed the competition in its discipline, as befits an invincible champion: she took the well-deserved gold and conquered her rivals with technique and performance.

This time, no equal to Russian women was found in the combined program. Anastasia Arkhipovskaya, Maya Doroshko, Michaela Kalancha, Polina Komar, Maria Shurochkina, Vlada Chigireva, Marina Golyadkina, Veronika Kalinina, Alla Shishkina and Varvara Subbotina perfectly performed the “Polovtsian Dances” and, after earning 98 points, left behind themselves the Chinese artists and Cossacks.

The next triumph of domestic synchronization did not prevent even a penalty point for violation of the rules of the preliminary competition. The composition chosen by the coaching staff was longer than the rules allow. Thus, two days before the final, the team had to not only adapt to the new music tempo, but also bring the modified program to perfection.

However, according to the synchronizers themselves, such experiments benefited the team and expanded the repertoire of the Russian team.

“After the preliminary program, we removed the bundle, the ending from the combined program. We now have two versions of this program: the director's abbreviation, ”RIA Novosti quotes the two-time Olympic champion Alla Shishkina.

At the same time, only a few hours were allocated for the rehearsal of the shortened version of Polovtsian Dances. Marina Golyadkina told journalists about this, stressing that despite the tight deadlines, the work was done without error.

“Of course, this is not easy. At first, you work on one thing for a long time and scrupulously, and then suddenly you make changes in the course of an important tournament. It is necessary to pay tribute to each of us that we could do all this. It's great if no one noticed that eventually disappeared. We tried to avoid the loss of complexity in the program. On the eve we repeated the necessary part twice to the music and made another run before the start, ”Golyadkina TASS quotes.

Golden achievement Maltsev

Another gold in synchronized swimming went to the mixed duet Maya Gurbanberdieva and Alexander Maltsev. Russian synchronist singers performed the free program “Hipsters”, which were loved by the audience, and, with a total of 92.9667 points, left behind the Italians Manila Flamini and Giorgio Minizini (91.8333), as well as the Japanese Atsushi Abe and Yumi Adati (90.4000).

For the second time, having risen to the highest rung of the current World Cup pedestal, Maltsev became the most titled man in the history of synchronized swimming. He now has four gold and two silver medals at the world championships. At the same time, according to the record holder himself, he does not intend to stop there.

“I don’t think about such results, for me the main thing is not only the scores, but also the quality of the performance itself. I want to convey the image of the program and in every way to develop our discipline, attracting boys to this sport. It’s not for me to rest on my laurels, ”TASS quotes Maltsev.

Heading to the World Championships title! 🌍
🥇 Mayya Gurbanderdieva / Aleksandr Maltsev
🥈 Manila Flamini / Giorgio Minisini 🇮🇹
🥉 Yumi Adachi / Atsishi Abe 🇯🇵
CONGRATS super DUETS !! # FINAGwangju2019 # FINAworldspic.twitter.com / Oibis1OOUM

In addition, the synchronist continues to actively promote the issue of the possible inclusion of mixed duet competitions in the Olympic program - the International Swimming Federation can offer them as one of the disciplines for the 2024 Games.

“Mixed duets are one of the most interesting types of the program, an analogue of pair figure skating and ice dancing. It seems to me that it would be logical to make male and female solos and mixed duets, as in figure skating. It fits in all respects with the principles of the IOC, we have gender equality in sports, mixes arise in other sports, so we hope for a positive decision, ”said the most titled synchronist of the world.

Thus, the Russian national team in synchronized swimming won medals in all types of programs, where she participated. On the account of the national team nine gold medals of the World Cup, the only exceptions were the “Highlights” - Russian sportswomen did not claim them.

China without a guaranteed medal

Jumpers Hao Yang and Yani Chan voluntarily withdrew from the finals of synchronized mixed diving from a three-meter springboard.

This decision was made in the interests of two-time world champion Hao Yang, who expressed a desire to focus on an individual performance on a ten-meter tower.

Thus, the Chinese team deliberately refused to medal hegemony in jump disciplines. After all, if Yang and Chan took part in the final and won there victories, China would have taken all 13 World Cup awards.

By the way, a similar achievement is already in the arsenal of jumpers from the PRC. So, in 2011, the Chinese did not give the opponents a single first place at the World Championship in Shanghai, and took 11 gold medals on the springboard.

In the absence of leaders, Australians Maddison Keene and Matthew Carter got the top line of the podium. Canadians Jennifer Abel and Francois Imbo-Dulac had silver, the third were the Germans Tina Punzel and Lou Massenberg.

Mixed Synchro Final Final | All the action live on 💻 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV. # FINAGwangju2019 # Diving # FINApic.twitter.com / EgtlewlBrL

As for the Russian duet, Kristina Ilinykh and Sergey Nazin continued the disappointing statistics for the Russian team. Since 2015, when this discipline was introduced into the World Cup program, the Russians have never finished with awards. The current result of the domestic pair is also far from the prizes - the tenth place.

At the same time, according to the athletes themselves, the duet initially did not position itself as a leader.

“We were not surprised at all by the result. We have done little, but this is not a lack of skill, but only a lack of competitive practice. For the first time, we jumped only in the Russian championship, where we won, but this is not enough for the World Championship, ”Tass quotes Nazin.

In addition, according to Russian jumpers, the refusal and Yang and Chan had a positive effect on the competitive spirit.

“The public has become more interesting, because the struggle for the first place has finally unfolded. Maybe for fun, and have the fans be in good shape. This is their decision, they have the right to it, ”Ilinykh said.

Bronze with a golden sheen

However, the Hao Yang plan worked only half. The two-time world champion, who missed the morning mix, was able to get to the pedestal by the results of a ten-meter tower, but was content with only second place and this despite the fact that for one of the jumps Hao unanimously received dozens from all members of the jury.

Gold went to his compatriot Yang Jian - he was noted for the perfect performance of the most difficult jump in the world with a coefficient of 4.1. Repeat this at the moment can not afford any of the participants of the continental championship.

However, for Russia, the jumping competition ended on a positive note. For the first time in 12 years, the representative of the national team completed the presentation with the award. Following the invincible and immaculate Chinese, Alexander Bondar is located on the podium. His bronze was the first Russian award since 2007, the last to date medal for Gleb Halperin and his Melbourne gold.

Aleksandr Bondar of Russia 10m Platform final! Brave effort but the Chinese refused to budge and Bondar settled for bronze. All the action live on 💻 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV. # FINAGwangju2019 # Diving # FINApic.twitter.com / wvxVEZFieh

Thus, Bondar brought Russia the fourth medal of the jump tournament. Earlier, together with Viktor Minibaev, he brought silver to the national team in synchronized diving.

Two more silver awards were won in non-Olympic mixed disciplines: Minibaev and Ekaterina Belyaeva became world vice-champions at a ten-meter tower, Sergey Nazin and Julia Timoshinina showed the second result in the team tournament.