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Russia win synchronised swimming team gold
= = SYDNEY, Sept 29 (AFP) - Russia won their second synchronised swimming gold of the Olympics Friday when they added the team title to the duet crown won by Olga Brusnikina and Maria Kisseleva. The Russians scored 99.146, with Japan taking silver with 98.860 and Canada winning the bronze on 97.357. Defending champions the United States finished in fifth position on 96.104 points behind fourth-place France (96.467). Both Brusnikina and Kisseleva were on the Russian team, who were leading coming into Friday's free routine after achieving the highest marks in Thursday's technical programme, which counted for 35 percent of the total scores. The world and European champions, who until Tuesday had never won an Olympic synchronised swimming medal, gave an outstanding creative performance with contrasting speeds and crisp leg movements in a witch-themed routine. "I believe it was a masterpiece. If it wasn't we wouldn't have won gold," said Kisseleva. They achieved two perfect 10s for technical marks, and two 10s for artistic impression for a combined total of 99.146 points - 34.580 for the technical routine and 64.566 for the free. "Psychologically this routine was very difficult than physically. We were leading in the competition and everyone was expecting us to perform. The Japanese were breathing down our necks," said Kisseleva. Japan were faultless on their spins in their routine to "The bird of wonder" and achieved one 10 mark for technical merit from the Japanese judge and four 10s for artistic impression. "Even though we swam before we had never seen a 10," said team member Rei Jimbo. "It was a first time experience and looked really beautiful." Miya Tachibana, who won duet silver Tuesday with Miho Takeda, said: "We worked very hard but we were still a step behind the Russians and there is still room for improvement for us." Canada performed an energetic progamme on the theme of athletes competing in the Olympics to the music of "Chariots of Fire". It included seven Olympic sports including an original bicycle lift which thrilled the crowd in Sydney's International Aquatic Centre. "We worked with a couple of athletes to show us how to do the moves. There were so many layers to this routine. It had risky high lifts and took a lot of choreography," said Claire Carver-Dias. "This wasn't just the synchronised team it was a Canadian team effort with people from different events helping us to win this for Canada." The United States, the most successful synchronised swimmers since the sport's inclusion in the 1984 Olympics, go home empty handed after coming fifth in the team and fourth in the duet. The United States and Canada had shared every synchro gold and silver since the sport was introduced at the 1984 Atlanta Games, and Japan had taken every bronze.
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