Russia’s synchronized swimmers continue dominance with latest gold at World Championships

Russia’s synchronized swimmers won the women’s free team gold at the World Championships in Budapest on Friday, continuing their dominance at the event.

The Russian team of Anastasia Bayandina, Vlada Chigireva, Veronika Kalinina, Maria Shurochkina, Darya Bayandina, Marina Golyadkina, Polina Komar and Darina Valitova claimed 97.3000 points to take the title at the 17th FINA World Championships in the Hungarian capital.

China finished in second place on 95.2333 points, with Ukraine claiming bronze with 93.9333 points.

The Russian team has held the title since 2007, and the victory gives the country a staggering six gold medals at the World Championships’ synchro events in Budapest. 

Russia’s women’s synchronized swimmers also claimed the technical team gold on Tuesday, while duo Svetlana Kolesnichenko and Alexandra Patskevich won gold in the duet technical event and the duet free final.  

Kolesnichenko, 23, also claimed gold in the solo technical category, as well as in the solo free competition, giving her a haul of four gold medals at the Budapest championships.

Russia’s Mikhaela Kalancha and Aleksandr Maltsev took silver behind Italy in the mixed duet technical final earlier in the week, while the pair will be aiming to go one better should they reach Saturday’s mixed duet free final.  

In total, the Russian squad has so far won 12 medals in Budapest (seven gold, three silver and two bronze), to put the team top of the medals table. 

Russia's only gold outside of synchronized swimming came last weekend, when Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Zakharov shocked defending champions China to win the 3 meter synchro springboard diving event.

The Wold Championships run until July 30.