Courtesy: FINA
Heavy favourites, Team Russia, dominated the third leg of the FINA Artistic Swimming World Series 2021 in Kazan (RUS) this weekend as the powerhouse clinched seven gold medals out of nine events on the programme.
Japan and Kazakhstan were the other two nations on the first step of the podium on the second and third competition days.
Megumu Yoshida / Yukiko Inui (JPN), the latter being a Rio 2016 bronze medallist, dethroned the Russian duet Violetta Evenko /Elizaveta Minaeva in the Duet Free as the Japanese claimed 93.0000 points for gold. Evenko / Minaeva accumulated 92.6000 for silver, and Nevena Dimitrijevic/Jelena Kontic from Serbia took bronze in 77.7153.
The Kazakhstan team topped the Highlight routine with an amazing score of 83.4333, ahead of the famous exhibition Gala on Sunday.
Coming back to the brilliant performances of Team Russia, Daria Kirsanova claimed victory in both the Solo events, 87.6972 for her Technical routine and a strong 90.7000 for the Free routine. Bulgaria’s Dalia Penkova was second in the Technical (69.4636), while Serbia’s Sofija Dzipkovic ranked second in the Free with 76.9000, and Kris Kuleva (BUL, 76.2333) closed the podium.
Multiple Olympic and World champions Svetlana Romashina/Svetlana Kolesnichenko, true stars of the discipline, claimed the gold at stake in the Duet Technical, with a score of 96.1017. Behind them followed the Japanese sensations Megumu Yoshida/Yukiko Inui (91.6111, silver) and Nevena Dimitrijevic/Jelena Kontic (SRB, 77.7153).
Both Mixed Duet were won by a Russian pair: Aleksandr Maltsev teamed with Mayya Gurbanberdyeva for the Technical routine and took gold with 92.5174 points. Spain’s famous duet Pau Ribes/Emma Garcia claimed silver (85.0703) and Viktor Druzin/Karolina Ivanova of Kazakhstan bagged the bronze medal (72.0722).
For the Free routine, Maltsev performed with Olesia Platonova and accumulated 94.1333 points for gold. Pau Ribes / Emma Garcia also claimed silver (87.1333), while Kazakhstan presented the event with another pair formed of Eduard Kim / Zhaklin Yakimova and secured bronze (81.4000).
With 96.7548 points, Russia was the best in Team Technical, and with 93.4667, the nation also asserted its domination in the Team Free.
The Artistic World Series will next be virtually hosted by Canada from May 29-30.
Solo Technical: 1. Daria Kirsanova (RUS) 87.6972; 2. Dalia Penkova (BUL) 69.4636
Solo Free: 1. Daria Kirsanova (RUS) 90.7000 2. Sofija Dzipkovic (SRB) 76.9000 3. Kris Kuleva (BUL) 76.2333
Duet Technical: 1. Svetlana Romashina/Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS) 96.1017; 2. Megumu Yoshida/Yukiko Inui (JPN) 91.6111; 3. Nevena Dimitrijevic/Jelena Kontic (SRB) 77.7153
Duet Free: 1. Megumu Yoshida / Yukiko Inui (JPN) 93.0000; 2. Violetta Evenko /Elizaveta Minaeva (RUS) 92.6000; 3. Nevena Dmitrijevic /Jelena Kontic (SRB) 78.9667
Mixed Duet Technical: 1. Aleksandr Maltsev/Mayya Gurbanberdyeva (RUS) 92.5174; 2. Pau Ribes/Emma Garcia (ESP) 85.0703; 3. Viktor Druzin/Karolina Ivanova (KAZ) 72.0722
Mixed Duet Free: 1. Aleksandr Maltsev / Olesia Platonova (RUS) 94.1333; 2. Pau Ribes / Emma Garcia (ESP) 87.1333; 3. Eduard Kim / Zhaklin Yakimova (KAZ) 81.4000
Team Technical: 1. RUS (Maryna Goliadkina, Maria Shurochkina, Alexandra Patskevich, Vlada Chigireva, Svetlana Romashina, Svetlana Kolesnichenko, Polina Komar, Alla Shishkina) 96.7548; 2. JPN (Mayu Tsukamkoto, Juka Fukumura, Megumu Yoshida, Moeka Kljima, Mashiro Yasunaga, Yukiko Inui, Akane Yanagisawa, Okina Kyogoku) 91.4460
Team Free: 1. RUS (Daria Dzidziguri, Ekaterina Kossova, Anna Sokolova, Alena Bakai, Violetta Evenko, Elizaveta Minaeva, Anastasiia Bakhtureva, Diana Mirgazizova, Nadezhda Demidova, Svetlana Ogorodnikova) 93.4667; 2. JPN (Mayu Tsukamoto, Juka Fukumura, Megumu Yoshida, Moeka Kijima, Mashiro Yasunaga, Yukiko Inui, Akane Yanagisawa, Okina Kyogoku, Tomoka Sato) 93.1667; 3. KAZ (Nargiza Bolatova, Arina Myasnikova, Yekaterina Simonova, Anna Pavletsova, Aigerim Kurmangaliyeva, Xeniya Makarova, Zhaniya Zhiyengazy, Eteri Kakutia, Yelena Krylova, Karina Abdullina) 81.9000
Team Highlight: 1. KAZ 83.4333
2021 FINA Artistic Swimming World Series calendar:
1. USA – Virtual Event – February 20-11
2. Budapest (HUN) – April 10-11
3. Kazan (RUS) – April 16-18
4. CAN – Virtual Event – May 29-30
6. Alexandroupolis (GRE) – June 4-6
Daily wrap-up reports are available on FINA website, while photos and videos can be seen on FINA social media.
