| Russia claims fourth duets synchro swim title |
LONDON Russia won the duets synchronised swimming gold for the fourth consecutive Olympic Games on Tuesday while Spain snatched silver from China.
Having claimed first position in the technical routine at the Aquatic Centre on Sunday, the Russian pair of Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina scored 98.900pts for Tuesday’s free routine to earn 197.100pts in total.
Spain’s pair of Ona Carbonell and Andrea Fuentes took second with a total of 192.900pts to claim silver by just 0.030pts from China’s Huang Xuechen and Liu Ou, who came into Tuesday’s final just behind the Russians.
The Russians’ impressive free routine leaned to the dark side with music from the 1977 horror film ‘Suspiria’ and Tim Burton-directed ‘Sleepy Hollow’.
Russians have won both the team and duet titles at every Olympics since duets returned to the Games programme for Sydney 2000 after taking a break for Atlanta in 1996.
Russia have held an iron grip on the duets crown since Olga Brusnikina and Maria Kisseleva won gold in Sydney, then compatriots Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova took the title at both Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
Davydova is back in London bidding to win the fifth Olympic gold of her career in the team event, while Ermakova has retired, but in their absence Ishchenko and Romashina, who both won team gold in Beijing, have stepped up.
The duo also won the world duets title at both Rome in 2009 and last year in Shanghai where Russia won all seven golds available.
Agence France-Presse
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