Chinese synchronized swimmers to help present modern, dynamic China

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China's synchronized swimming head coach Masayo Imura said here on Friday that Chinese swimmers will help present a modern and dynamic China with their performance.

In a training session opened to media on Friday afternoon, swimmers practiced sword-themed team technical routine, while details of the team free routine remain undisclosed.

"I'm a foreigner, and about 50 percent of my ideas may seem odd to the Chinese, but through working with the Chinese coaches, I can help them to improve recognition in a wider audience and help present the dynamic side of China," Imura said.

Imura reiterated her hopes for medals at the Beijing Olympics. "We hope we can do better than the fourth in duet and team routines in the Melbourne World Championships last year," she said.

Imura said the Chinese swimmers have improved markedly in strength, technique and speed since she came in 2006.

Chinese twins duet Jiang Wenwen and Jiang Tingting held off Japanese swimmers and won the silver at an Olympic qualifications tournament in April.

But Chinese synchronized swimmers may face tough battle in its Olympic medal hunt, facing major rivals such as multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Russia, Spain and Japan.

The 58-year-old head coach is dubbed as the "godmother" of the Japanese synchronized swimming. She coached Japan's synchro swimming team since 1978, helping her swimmers to win eight Olympic medals over the past 30 years. Imura started coaching in China after the 2006 Doha Asian Games in which China dethroned long-time Asian champion Japan in both duet and team competitions.

Imura said she has finished routine design in the team programs, and are helping the swimmers to improve execution. "We are also trying to make the duet routines more difficult and competitive," she added.