Synchro World Series: Spain and Ukraine shine on Day 1

The fifth leg of FINA Synchronised Swimming World Series began on Friday, May 26 at Club Natacion Metropole of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) and home star Ona Carbonell started off the event with a great performance.

Five swimmers contested the preliminary solo technical routine and the lead went to Ona Carbonell. She scored 90.9702 in the technical session pursued by Ukrainian Anna Voloshyna (89.9129) and Hungarian Szofi Kiss (78.0242). Slovak Nada Daabousova (77.8066) and Swedish Mali Gerdin (74.9636) were the other participants.

"I am happy, but I must improve some details", said Ona Carbonell, silver and bronze medallist in the duet and team events at London 2012.

It is the second time she has presented this "innovative" choreography in competition. "Movements, transitions and figures are very difficult", she explained. 

Ona, whose name means 'wave' in Catalan, also commented: "The World Series offer us a great opportunity to compete many times over a year. It is a good chance to improve and to attract more media and public attention".

She did not participate in the preliminary team technical routine and Spain noticed her absence. All Spanish athletes are very young and, with no international experience, they were surpassed by Ukraine.

Maryna Aleksiiva, Vladyslava Aleksiiva, Oleksandra Kashuba, Yana Nariezhna, Anastasiya Savchuk, Ksenya Sydorenko, Anna Voloshyna and Yelyzaveta Yakhno impressed the judges this Friday. They secured 90.6050 in the preliminary team technical routine. 

Spain scored 88.5050, followed by Kazakhstan (78.6295), Hungary (75.7038) and Australia (74.1569).

This fifth meet of the Synchronised Swimming World Series is currently taking place as part of the Spanish National Open and will run until Sunday May 28.

Ten events are on the programme of the three-day competition, however only the preliminary Solo technical and preliminary Team technical routines were held on Day 1.

"Personally, I feel much better and stronger than in the last competition. It is positive for me and I think that the team will also be stronger than in Canada. We want to show our maximum tomorrow", said Ukrainian Anna Voloshyna.

Saturday's action includes preliminary duet technical and preliminary mixed duet technical routines, free combination final, free solo final and team free routine final.