U.S. synchronized swimming in 5th place after technical event

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The U.S. Olympics synchronized swim team ended Friday’s team technical event in a fifth-place tie with Canada. Both teams finished with a 95.167 score and will carry a 47.584 point total into the team free competition on Saturday afternoon in Beijing.

Defending Olympic champion Russia scored 99.000, while Spain finished second with 97.833 and China took third with 97.167.

“We did a great job,” team co-captain Kate Hooven of Pleasanton, Calif., told U.S. Synchronized Swimming after the competition. ‘We couldn’t ask for a better technical program. Our lift is quite difficult. The base stand is our arms. That makes it more risky than usual lifts. We did it to perfection.”

During the team free competition, the U.S. squad ‘hopes to push the envelope with a new free routine to the theme of ‘light,’ ‘ according to U.S. Synchronized Swimming. ‘The routine features innovative and groundbreaking choreography which has never been brought to the competition pool before.’

Hooven said that the routine to be presented on Saturday is ‘entertaining to watch and pleasing to the eye. It’s a lot of pressure to pull it off. We are really going for the free feeling.”

-- Greg Johnson