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SHANGHAI, China, July 23. THE Russian contingent was peerless in synchronized swimming competition at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai. The squad completed a clean sweep of the gold medals on offer, going seven-for-seven in gold-medal opportunities after a win in the team routine tonight.
No nation had ever won seven gold medals before Russia completed the task today. Russian won six in 2009, but did not compete in one event. The last gold-medal sweep came when Russian accomplished the feat with a three-for-three effort at the 1998 World Championships.
Tonight, Anastasia Davydova, Natalia Ishchenko, Elvira Khasyanova, Svetlana Kolesnichenko, Daria Korobova, Aleksandra Patskevich, Alla Shishkina and Anzhelika Timanina captured the team routine gold with 98.620 points.
All combined, Ishchenko now has 17 career world titles, as well as a pair of silver medals in world championship competition. Her triumphs have come in the technical solo routine (2007, 2009, 2011), solo free (2009, 2011), technical duet (2009, 2011), duet free (2009, 2011), team (2005, 2011), technical team (2007), free team (2007, 2009) and combination free (2005, 2007, 2011).
China's Chang Si, Huang Xuechen, Jiang Tingting, Jiang Wenwen, Lio Ou, Luo Xi, Sun Wenyan and Wu Yiwen took home silver with 96.580 points, while Spain's Clara Basiana, Alba Cabello, Ona Carbonell, Marga Crespi, Andrea Fuentes, Thais Henriquez, Paula Klamburg and Irene Montrucchio snared bronze with 96.150 points.
Notably, the U.S. took 10th with 86.800 points.
