Russia won the four events – solo, duet, team and free combination – of the 11th FINA World Junior Synchronised Swimming Championships taking place in St. Petersburg from July 8-13, 2008, thus confirming its superiority in the discipline. At home, and in the first pool in the world constructed only for synchronised swimming activities, Anna Udovik was the local star, getting the title in three events (she was a reserve swimmer in the free combination). Born in 1990, she won the solo in a total of 87.416, then she paired with Elena Ternovskaya for the duet title (86.541) and finally she triumphed in the team event, along her other seven teammates, in 86.306.
The competition, attended by 188 athletes from 26 countries, had six nations on the podium – besides leading Russia, Canada, China, Greece, Japan and Spain also got medals in St. Petersburg. In this regard, China confirmed its evolution in synchro, by taking two silver, in the team (Japan was third) and free combination (with Greece getting the bronze) events. In solo and duet, Canada was respectively second and third, while Ona Carbonell (ESP) took the bronze in solo and Yukiko Inui/Mariko Sakai (JPN) obtained the silver in duet.
Medallists in St. Petersburg:
Solo – 1. Anna Udovik (RUS), 87.416; 2. Chloe Isaac (CAN), 85.685; 3. Ona Carbonell (ESP), 84.827
Duet – 1. Elena Ternovskaya/Anna Udovik (RUS), 86.541; 2. Yukiko Inui/Mariko Sakai (JPN), 84.713; 3. Jo-Annie Fortin/Chloe Isaac (CAN), 83.963
Team – 1. Russia, 86.306; 2. China, 83.708; 3. Japan, 83.518
Free Combination – 1. Russia, 94.900; 2. China, 93.200; 3. Greece, 91.800
Participating countries (26) in St. Petersburg: AUT, BLR, BRA, CAN, CHN, CZE, EGY, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, ITA, JPN, KAZ, MAC, MAS, MEX, RUS, SUI, THA, TPE, UKR, USA, UZB, VEN.