Japan to lead teams in ticket contention

(BEIJING, April 15) -- Headed by Japan, the multiple-time Olympic and World runner-up, six strong teams will vie for three Olympic tickets beginning April 16 at the five-day "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Olympic Games Synchronized Swimming Qualification Tournament at the National Aquatics Center.

According to the Olympic team event qualification rules, the continental champions, the top three teams from this tournament and the Olympic host nation will qualify for the Olympic Games

The Olympic duet qualification rules are somewhat complicated due to the large number of teams involved: The eight countries and regions that have qualified for the team event will automatically qualify for the Olympic duet event. The remaining 16 pairs will comprise the top-ranked pair at the continental championships or continental games and the best-ranked pairs at this tournament, excluding those who have already earned Olympic berths.

With six teams and 32 pairs vying for three team tickets and more than ten duet tickets, including World medalists Spain and Canada and World finalists Ukraine and Greece, the overall level of the tournament is expected to be high.

As host of the Olympic Games, China directly qualifies for the Olympic team and duet competitions but will compete in this tournament's duet event to get familiar with the newly built Olympic venue.

So far, four other countries have qualified for the 2008 Olympics: Russia (Europe), the United States (America), Egypt (Africa) and Australia (Oceania).

The Olympic synchronized swimming competition consists of two events, team and duet, with eight teams in the team event and 24 pairs of swimmers in the duet event.

(Credit: The Official Website of "Good Luck Beijing" Sport Events)