The Russian national team has announced its roster for its first outing of the year this weekend at the third leg of the world series in Kazan. Svetlana Kolesnichenko will swim in the technical solo, while she and Svetlana Romashina will compete in both duet events. The team will be made of Anastasia Arkhipovskaia, Vlada Chigireva, Mayya Doroshko (technical routine only), Marina Golyadkina, Veronika Kalinina, Polina Komar, Alla Shishkina, Maria Shurochkina, and Varvara Subbotina (free routine only). This will be Shishkina’s and Romashina’s first competition since the Olympics in 2016. The mixed duet will be Aleksandr Maltsev and Maya Gurbanberdieva just like last season.
Road to Tokyo
The Olympic Channel posted a short feature on Team USA‘s journey to qualifying to the 2020 Olympics under the guidance of new head coach Andrea Fuentes and assistant coach Reem Abdalazem.
Great Britain’s Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpereceived funding to help them in their quest to qualify to the 2020 Olympics. The pair was awarded more than £17,000 by the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity Programme, which has so far funded training with Spain’s Ana Montero, and mentoring for their current coach.
Belarus Nationals
The new pair of Vasilina Khandoshka and Daria Kulaginawon nationals at the end of March after finishing first in both technical (84.0718) and free (85.6333) duet events. The veteran and 2016 Olympic duet of Iryna Limanouskaya and Veronika Yesipovich only swam in the technical event and received 83.4306. Khandoshka also comfortably won the solo events, with 85.1700 in tech and 86.6667 in free.
International Collaborations – Episode 5,629
You understand it now, coaches and choreographers cross over and collaborate all over the world. At the beginning of the month, Stephan Miermont was seen working with the Italian national team and mixed duet.
Canada stayed in Greece after competing at the Hellas Beetles Cup to train some more with Anastasia Ermakova, who choreographed both of its technical and free team routines.
Injury Update
Solène Lusseau, one of France’s team captains, posted on her Instagram account that she injured her foot in a fall and had to withdraw from the next two competitions, the Japan Open and the China Open. We wish her a speedy recovery, and we also truly appreciate the transparency and honesty of her announcement.
Got Skills?
Varvara Subbotinashowed off a gorgeous Barracuda Split.
Ona Carbonell made good use of the Watlicam and improvised a few spins.
Mexico’s Regina Alferez also played around with a Barracuda variation.
The Mexicans are renowned for their explosive throws, and it’s even more impressive in slow-motion. Check out the video that Jessica Sobrino, one of the team flyers, posted on her Instagram account.
Another slow-mo lift for you, brought to you by the Greek team, with Evangelia Papazoglou literally lifting and holding another human above her head. Beast.
Vlogs
Bregje and Noortje de Brouwer are back at it with some fun footage from their last competition in Greece.
In Case You Missed It
If you don’t follow us on social media (what are you doing with your life?), you may have missed the release of the trailer for our upcoming series on the French national team “L’Envers des Paillettes” (“Beyond the Sparkles”). All episodes will be on YouTube, with the first one released next Sunday, April 21.
