Four events were contested on the first day in Barcelona, where Russia's Aleksandr Maltsev added two more gold medals to his Artistic Swimming World Series medal collection.
TEAM TECHNICAL
The first event on the program, the Technical Team event, was a combination of the ASWS and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Tokyo. The Super Final is the last chance for the competitors to accumulate points towards their final ranking for the prize money distributed to the Top 12 Federations in the Solo, Duet, Mixed Duet and Team event categories. Due to the pandemic the rules for the ASWS were adapted allowing all National Federations to participate in the Super Final in Barcelona.
Italy, demonstrating the meaning behind the theme “We Can Be Superheroes”, opened with a powerful acrobatic movement and continued with much energy and excitement throughout the routine. Italy topped the podium with a score of 90.7917.
Winning a silver medal by scoring 90.5506, the Team representing Spain honored the Japanese and their own culture by swimming “Japon-Flamenco”, to a combination of Flamenco and Japanese music. Rounding out the top 3, Canada scored 88.9380 for their performance “Hip-Hop and Rap”.
After four legs of the 2021 ASWS, USA is ranked first, followed closely by Hungary and Spain in the Team events. However, Hungary will be competing in all four of the Team events in Barcelona, while USA and Spain will each compete in only two.
Check out the full results
MALE SOLO TECHNICAL
Up next was the Male Technical Solo event featuring experienced elite super star Russia’s Alksandr Maltsev and the young but talented Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez Boneu. The difference in scores for Maltsev’s gold medal, 90.9322 and Gonzalez Boneu’s silver medal, 77.0284, does not do justice to the talent and promising future of the Spaniard. Both athletes are two of many reasons of the importance to continue working on the inclusion of Males in the sport for the development of Artistic Swimming.
“I really enjoyed being here, because this was the last time this season for the Male solo, I am very happy for the opportunity. I really think we need the Male Solo in the European and World Championships, I think it is very important to develop the sport.”
“ I think it is very good, even though we don’t have a lot of participants yet. If more boys see us participating in the sport, more will join the sport"
WOMEN SOLO TECHNICAL
Canada’s Jaqueline Simoneau won the Solo Technical event, bringing her total of gold medals for the ASWS to 5 for the 2021 season. Her routine swum to music by fellow Canadian Michael Bublé scored 90.4573, her highest score yet for the 2021 ASWS.
“it is just free, it is fun. The coaches give me the liberty to play with the routine and change things if I feel like it. Because I love the music so much, I kind of make it up as I go, I never do the same thing.”
Second place went to Liechtenstein’s Lara Mechnig with a score of 84.1573. The music for Mechnig’s routine “You Rascal You” was bold and Mechnig’s facial expressions showed an attitude perfectly matching the feel of the music.
USA’s Nicole Dzurko scored 82.0876 to claim the bronze medal with her choreography performed to John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Simoneau (CAN) and Dzurko (USA)’s performances today will solidify Canada’s first and USA’s second place in the ASWS ranking for the solo events.
MIXED DUET TECHINCAL
In the Technical Mixed Duet event, Aleksandr Maltsev (RUS) scored 92.2651 to win his second gold medal of this Super Final, together with Duet partner Olesia Platonova. Their routine choreographed to the song “Bring me to Life” by Amy Lynn Lee was a breathtaking portrayal of destructive abusive and co-dependent relationship.
The silver medal, with a score of 86.0043 went to Spain’s Emma Garcia and Pau Ribes. This performance was Garcia and Ribes’s best result of the 2021 ASWS. Leading into the Super Final, for the ASWS ranking in the Mixed Duet events, Russia is in first place with 300 points, followed closely by Spain with 260.
The 2021 Super Final of the FINA Artistic Swimming World Series hosted by Barcelona and the Spanish Royal Spanish Federation initiated today with the added excitement of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament happening at the same time. The excitement, suspense and nerves could be felt in the air at the Saint Jordi pool in Barcelona where athletes representing close to 40 countries are competing over the next four days. Although the event is following strict COVID-19 protocols and does not allow any spectators, the athletes in the stands were giving all the competitors their due support. Right from the start, the tone for this event was set, the athletes are ready to compete, they have been waiting for this moment for almost 2 years.
The 2021 Artistic Swimming World Series Super Final continues Friday June 11th at 3:00 pm (GMT +2).
Schedule for June 11 (all times GMT +2)
3:00 PM Free Team (OQT and ASWS)
6:00 PM Solo Free
7:05 PM Male Solo Free