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ROME, Italy, July 23. RUSSIA's Natalia Ishchenko proved just why she is the best on the planet with another gold medal, this time in the solo free finale in synchronized swimming at the FINA World Championships.
Ishchenko put together a 98.833 point tally to hold off Spain's Gemma Mengual for gold. Ishchenko totaled 49.5 points from artistic impression and 49.333 points from technical merit. Her technical merit also earned a 10 from judge Natalia Petrachina.
Mengual took silver with 98.333 points, just missing Ishchenko's total by .5 points of artistic impression. Mengual matched Ishchenko with 49.333 points in technical merit, but fell short with 49 points of artistic impression.
Italy's Beatrice Adelizzi claimed bronze with 95.5 points comprised of 47.833 of artistic impression and 47.667 from technical merit. Canada's Chloe Isaac (95), Japan's Yumi Adachi (93.167) and Ukraine's Lolita Ananasova (92.5) were among the top six.
Ishchenko returned in the duet free prelims, pairing with Svetlana Romashina, for the top seed with 99 points. The tandem notched 49.5 points in both artistic impression and technical merit.
Spain's Mengual and Andrea Fuentes (97.833), China's Jiang Tingting and Jiang Wenwen (96.666), Canada's Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon and Isaac (95.333), Italy's Adelizzi and Giulia Lapi (94.667) and Japan's Yukiko Inui and Mariko Sakai (94.5) were other top qualifiers.