ESP, CAN and JPN on the last bus to Olympics

(Photo credit: Sportsphoto.cn)Photo Gallery>>(Beijing, April 19) -- The team competition of the "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Olympic Games Synchronized Swimming Qualification Tournament concluded at the National Aquatic Center this afternoon. As a result, Spain claimed the title with a score of 98.167 points, followed by Japan and Canada with 96.501 and 95.334 respectively. According to the FINA's rules, the top three teams at this tournament will get the last three team tickets to the Beijing Olympic Games. In addition, each team will get a ticket to the duet event as well.

A total of six teams, namely Spain, Japan, Canada, Ukraine, Greece and Italy, competed in the team event. The hottest favorite Spain, leading in the technical routine, was the second to take the pool in today's free routine competition. The eight girls, in wig-like headdresses, presented a novel and unique routine to the rhythm of the dynamic African music. Four of the five judges offered them 9.8 points and the other one 9.9 for the technical merit, and their lowest score for artistic impression was 9.8. Eventually Spain achieved a total score of 98.167 points for the gold medal.

Athens Olympic runners-up Japan, which had failed to bring out their best in the technical routine and finished second to Spain, was given a "heavy blow" as described by its head coach for an error committed in yesterday's duet competition by Harada Saho/Suzuki Emiko, who eventually settled for the third place. In the team final today, the Japanese team led by these two top swimmers, still out of form, committed some errors in both lifting or synchronization and only achieved a total score of 96.501 points, including a highest technical merit score of 9.6 and a highest artistic impression score of 9.7. After the competition, some Japanese swimmers burst into sorrowful tears. Nevertheless, they got an Olympic ticket as the second-place finishers.

After unveiling their brand-new technical routine on Thursday, Canada presented a new free routine themed Chinese twelve animals corresponding to the twelve terrestrial branches today. The eight fairies vividly interpreted the models of the animals as monkey, dragon and snake, and impressed the spectators and judges present. Eventually, Canada finished third with a score of 95.334 points to get the last ticket to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games after Spain and Japan.

(Credit: Good Luck Beijing Official Website. Click here for further information.)