Australia’s synchronised swimming team has qualified its place for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio, after finishing ahead of regional rivals New Zealand in the team qualifying at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Russia.
Australia was pitted in a direct qualification battle with their neighbours, with the highest ranked nation at these championships, assured of qualification for next year’s Games.
Australia selected a squad featuring four WAIS scholarship holders, with Danielle Kettlewell, Deborah Tsai, Amie Thompson and Danielle ten Vaanholt forming part of Australia’s eight-strong team in qualification, with the girl’s returning a total score of 75.1000 to finish one spot higher – in 16th – than New Zealand in 17th who for their part scored 72.5667.
Synchronised swimming scores are assessed via three weighted categories, with Execution (30%), Artistic Impression (40%) and Difficulty (30%) ranked by three different panels of judges before being combined to return a total score.
Although Australia’s 16th place finish didn’t earn qualification for the World Championship final (Top 12 nations progress), the WA based team-members were elated post-competition, knowing that their Olympic aspirations were a step closer to being realised.
Danielle Kettlewell told her Instagram followers: “We did it. All the sacrifice, hard work, blood, sweat and tears paid off. Aussie Synchro is going to the Olympics.”
Deborah Tsai used her account to add: “One step closer to an Olympic dream. Rio here we go.”
The FINA World Championships comprise of all sports under the FINA banner – Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronised Swimming – in one combined showpiece. The Championships, being held in Kazan, Russia run through til August 9.
