Swim England Artistic Swimming
Shortman and Thorpe to compete at 2017 World Championships
May 5, 2017Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe will be representing GB at the 17th FINA World Championships in Budapest this summer.
The City of Bristol pair will be making their World Championship debut in Hungary as they look to build their experience on the road to Tokyo 2020.
Shortman and Thorpe have already impressed both internationally and domestically in 2017. They made their FINA World Series debut at the French Open in March, finishing 11th.
They built on their score at last month’s National Championships in Nottingham, winning gold with more than 10 points in hand on the field.
And with appearances at June’s European Junior Championships also on the horizon, Shortman admitted she was looking forward to cutting her teeth on the world stage for the first time.
“It’s so exciting to be competing alongside the best synchro swimmers in the world,” said Shortman, who will compete individually in the Solo Free as well as in the Duet Free with Thorpe.
“We are really focused on working hard to step up to senior international competition and I feel we are getting stronger all the time.”
Thorpe added: “I am really excited to be going to the World Championships this year.
“It will be the first time Kate and I are competing as seniors and we want to show that we are technically very strong. This is a great start for our journey to Tokyo.”
Italian coaches Paola Basso and Stefania Speroni will accompany the young English pair in Hungary while Swim England Synchronised Swimming Manager Karen Thorpe will be Team Manager.
She said: “We are really excited to be showcasing our young duet for the first time as seniors at the World Championships in Budapest.
“Although they will still also compete at the European Juniors, this is a great opportunity for them to experience a senior competition as part of their preparations for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.”
The World Championships take place in Budapest, Hungary, between 14 and 30 July 2017. As well as the synchronised swimming competition, 17 English athletes will represent Great Britain in the swimming events.
You can watch Shortman and Thorpe perform their routines at a special event for synchro supporters and fans in Aldershot on Friday 2 June. Click here to find out more.
