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US Synchronized Swimming Team / Photo: © Maddie Meyer / Staff / Getty Images Sports / Gettyimages.ru

The first medals in synchronized swimming were awarded at the Olympic Games in Paris. The Chinese team won the group championship. The Americans are in second place. The Spanish women took bronze.

Russia is a great power

Since 2000, Russian athletes have consistently won this discipline at the Olympics. But there are no Russian women in Paris, and now a place on the throne has become empty. And it is not surprising that Chinese women lived there. The Chinese team has always been the main rival of the Russian team.

– I would like to compete with the Russian team. “I believe that every team should have the opportunity to compete at the Olympics,” “Championship” Olympic champion Feng Yu said.

Silver went to the US team, which last stood on the podium in 2004. And to the third step. Now the Americans have replaced bronze with a nobler metal. Of course, if there is no Russian team, we can and should take advantage of this moment.

Of course, the Americans are happy with their financial success, but they understand everything very well.

– I want to be the best at the Olympics. It is best to learn from the strongest, watch the leaders. When they can come back, it will be interesting to watch them,” said one of the American synchronized swimmers Keana Hunter to the competition. The athlete did not specify who she meant when she said “the strongest” and “the leaders”. Everyone had already guessed.

But then Hunter did not beat the press and named the leaders in synchronized swimming in the world.

– As a child, I always watched the Olympic performances of the Russian team. And in general, not only from the Olympics, I really like their singles. They are such a force in our sport and move so beautifully. They’re very exciting,” Keana said.

Keana Hunter / Photo: © Joe Scarnici / Stringer / Getty Images Sports / Gettyimages.ru

Two natives from Russia were still participating in the competition. Alisa Ozhogina won a bronze medal as part of the Spanish national team. Anastasia Bayandina, who stood under the French tricolor, was left without a prize.

– The world of synchronized swimming is still watching the video and looking up to Russian athletes. It is not in vain yet, all these years of work, Olympic medals, gold at the World and European Championships. I would like to see them at championships,” said the French representative Bayandina in an interview with “Championship”.

On the hockey track

The USA Team won the final group stage at the home Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Since then, Russian athletes have dominated and decided the vector of development in world synchronized swimming . And the sport itself, which was created in Canada, has become as Russian as ice hockey once was.

Have you noticed how different the synchronized swimming programs are at the Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships? At the Games, only two sets of prizes are played – in duets and in groups. Why not include solos, mixed pairs, and technical programs in the Olympic program? But then synchronized swimming becomes a medal-winning discipline. And it is clear who will get the most medals. It is not forever for the Russians to be absent from the Games.

It’s always interesting to see how an athlete with a small stature dominates the favorites. And the 2024 Olympics have already brought unexpected results for fans and victories from outsiders.

However, these feelings often occur not because of the skill of the athletes, but simply because of injuries. So, in Paris, serious health problems stopped the Spanish badminton player Carolina Marin, who had already reached the finals of the Games.

Definite victory is gone

In the semifinal match of the women’s badminton singles tournament, Marin met He Bingjiao of China. The match ended with Marin injured when she was only 11 points away from victory.

The Spaniard won the first game with a score of 21:14 and led 10:8 in the second until she felt a sharp pain while jumping. The 2016 Games champion fell to the floor, screaming and clutching her knee. A little later, Marin tried to continue the game, wearing a special band, but her legs could no longer support her. Caroline fell to the floor again. After that, she realized it was over. It was painful to watch the gymnast hurt and crack.

– Caroline feels empty. I think it was very unfair. Carolina deserved to finish the Olympic Games, win or lose, but on the court, the athlete’s coach Fernando Rivas told reporters.

Doctors recommended that the Spanish athlete go to the tribune room in a wheelchair. However, the girl refused, deciding to leave the court alone. The audience saw the brave Marin with thunderous applause.

Caroline’s situation

Carolina Marin at the 2016 Olympics / Photo: © Clive Brunskill / Staff / Getty Images Sports / Gettyimages.ru

The 31-year-old athlete has been having problems with her knees for a long time. In the final years of her career, Marin was plagued with injuries. Carolina even missed the Tokyo Olympics due to anterior cruciate ligament damage. And this was the second such injury. But every time she got back successfully.

This year, the athlete became the European champion and had every chance to take a second Olympic gold, but fate agreed otherwise. Despite Marin not being able to play in the bronze medal match due to injury, the Spanish flag was still on the podium.

In the final, Bingjiao lost against South Korean badminton player An Se-yoon with a score of 0:2. But the Chinese woman did not worry about the missed opportunity to win gold, but showed the true Olympic spirit. At the awards ceremony, Bingjiao held a silver medal and a small badge depicting the Spanish flag. So the athlete praised Marin, who deserved to be on the Olympic podium.

He Bingjiao / Photo: © VCG / Contributor / China Visual Group / Gettyimages.ru

It is not yet known how long Carolina has been out, but she already has experience recovering from injuries. In addition, because of the beautiful story and meeting Bingjiao on the court, it is worth trying to return to professional sports.