Synchronized Swimming Teaches Rio 2016 Key Adjustments

(ATR) Feedback from the athletes at the synchronized swimming test event is helping Rio 2016 develop a "top notch" environment for the 2016 Games.

The Maria Lenk Aquatics Center in the Olympic Park played host to a second test event in three weeks, as synchronized swimmers from 30 countries competed for final qualification sports on Mar. 2-6.

Agberto Guimarães, Rio 2016 Executive Director of Sport said to Around the Rings that each test event provides the organizing committee a new chance to see how athletes react to venues and what adjustments must be made in the final months of preparations. For synchronized swimming those adjustments include the look of the arena, the locker room set up, the pool temperature, and others.

"When athletes come for the Games everything is going to be top notch," Guimarães said.

"I think as we progress we learn a little bit more because the sports are different, and the needs of the athletes from different sports are quite different. That puts our team in a state of alert so that we can really be focused on what we have to do for the Games."

After athletes commented about the need for a new locker room setup, the city of Rio de Janeiro sent engineers to Maria Lenk to see if minor adjustments can be made to the existing venues. Rio 2016 and the International Aquatics Federation are set to review those potential changes in the coming weeks.

Another point of contention for the athletes was the inconsistencies in water temperature in the main pool. Paula Klamburg, a competitor for the Spanish team, told reporters that she felt the water temperature was too hot in some areas and too cold in others, while Olena Grechykhina, a competitor for the Ukrainian team, commented the competition pool was hotter than the warm-up pool, which threw athletes off.

Guimarães said that the venue technicians have been informed of the athletes criticism, but the summer daytime heat could have played a role in the inconsistencies.

"We may have a different scenario in August where we have cool nights and days not as warm as they are right now, so we may have the opposite situation where the temperature is too cold so we will have to work with that," Guimarães added.

"FINA has a group of very, very competent people that demand a lot from us. They are very keen in making the field of play and venue perfect for the athletes. They have to protect the athletes and we have to deliver to them the best possible scenario for them to organize the event, so there’s no problem with that."

Olympic Dreams Made, Shattered

The team competition on the final day of the synchronized swimming test event showcased the highs and lows of qualification.

Going into the final day, three teams - Canada, Italy, and Spain - were fighting for the final Olympic qualification spot. The Italians entered the day third overall, with Canada in fourth and Spain in fifth hoping to book a trip back to Rio.

After the final performance it was the Italians who did enough to join the Ukrainian and Japanese teams for the 2016 Olympic competition.

"We worked 12 years for this moment," Sara Sgarzi, a competitor for the Italian team, told reporters. "Our dream came true. Some were crying, others were jumping, we are very happy. We are very happy because we will return."

For the fourth place Canadian team, they say they are leaving Rio with no regrets.

"We pushed right until the very end; we left our hearts in the pool," Janelle Bell said to ATR. "I couldn’t ask to do it with a better team. Overall we had some of the best swims in our careers so far."

The Spanish team has medaled in the previous two Olympics, but will not have a chance to make it three straight after a lackluster performance in Rio.

"We are happy to have come this far, and now we will fight for the next Olympics," Klamburg said to reporters. "It did not come out perfectly, but we all worked very hard work to get here."

For the Ukrainians, who finished first overall, the victory had extra meaning, as it was the first time a Ukrainian team qualified for the Olympics.

"All of our country must be happy with us and we do it for them and for ourselves," Grechykhina said. "We fought for this moment for more than four years. We will now take the next step, and we will try. It is our dream."

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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