British one-two at European Masters Synchro Champs

There was a British one-two at the in the Free Combination – Free Routine at the LEN European Masters Synchronised Swimming Championships in Slovenia.

Five teams represented Britain at the event – Brighton Dolphins, Out to Swim, Reading Royals, Rugby Swimming Club and Rushmoor Synchronised Swimming Club.

And it was Rushmoor’s team of Emma Adams, Angela Boitsidis, Janice Brignull, Nicola Buckingham, Rachel Davies, Francesca Feast, Andrea Holland, Carolyn MacDonals, April Poulter and Grace Reukers who were celebrating after scoring 60.1000 to take the gold in the 50-64 age group.

Rugby were 9.8667 points behind as they took second spot. Their team of Sandra Anstruther, Julie Bowler-Smith, Dawn Broad, Alison Richardson, Kay Ridler and Joyce Williams scored 50.2333 to comfortably finish above third-placed Simklubben Taby Synchro, from Sweden, who finished on 48.7333.

Team – Free Routine

Athletes representing Rushmoor also won a gold in the 35-49 Team-Free routine with a score of 64.3333.

Angela Boitsidis, Janice Brignull, Nicola Buckingham, Rachel Davies, Francesca Feast, Andrea Holland, Carolyn MacDonald and Grace Reukers made up the winning team.

The Brighton Dolphins were the only team in the 50-64 age group.

Team members Linda Doidge, Gaye Greely, Margaret Hamerton and Anne Long secured a score of 49.1667.

Team – Technical Routine

The same Brighton team also entered the Team – Technical Routine and took the 50-64 age group gold medal with a score of 45.6200.

Linda Doidge, Brighton Dolphin synchro swimmer said: “The camaraderie was super, all supporting one another and the other European teams were all very friendly too.

“We had sun, rain, thunderstorms and very low mountain cloud in a beautiful backdrop set in the mountain valley town of Kamnik. The locals were all extremely helpful, going above and beyond to make us all feel comfortable.

“As for medals, they were plentiful. Bearing in mind we are all above 50, Brighton Dolphin won a gold for team in 50-64 age group and a Bronze for a 60-69 solo. Britain also had the oldest competitor in our ranks, Jeanne Ansley who won gold in the 70+ age group.

“It’s been a great masters competition in a wonderful venue and country.”

In the same event, Rushmoor finished second overall in the 35-49 age group.

Boitsidis, Brignull, Buckingham, Davies, Feast, Holland, MacDonald and Reukers scored 62.8133 for their routine.

The other two teams on the podium were both from Netherlands with the winners, ZPC Amersfoot, scoring 63.7933 and the bronze medal going to PSV Eindhoven on 61.0533.

Solo – Free Routine

The Solo-Free routine was a high-scoring event for the British athletes.

Jeanne Ansley, of City of Leeds, was the only competitor in the 70+ age group and so received a gold medal for her score of 50.7000.

The 60-69 age group saw two Brits on the podium.

Andrea Holland, of Rushmoor, secured 59.2667 points to take the gold, while Margaret Hamerton, of Brighton Dolphins, took the bronze after being awarded 53.6000 points.

The two were separated by Holland’s Edith Otten, who scored 56.6333.

Sally Anne Robinson, of Reading Royals, won a silver medal in the 50-59 age group.

She scored 65.9667, 0.3333 behind the champion Evelyne Burger, of France.

Solo – Technical routine

Ansley was again the only competitor in the 70+ age group and won a gold for her routine which scored 51.5534.

The same three competitors medalled in the 60-69 age group as for the Solo – Free routine.

Holland finished in first place with 62.6867, while Hamerton took the bronze medal on 50.8067 points.

They were again separated by Otten, of Holland, who scored 55.7600.

Duet routines

The Duet events were lucrative for the Rushmoor swimmers.

The Duet – Technical 50-59 age group competition saw Holland and MacDonald, of Rushmoor, win a silver medal with a score of 60.7667. They finished 2.4266 behind the German winners Birte Hohlstein-Janssen and Silk Hohlstein-Terrwesten.

Another medal for Rushmoor was won in the 40-49 age group.

Davies and Reukers secured a bronze with 61.4800 points, 3.1867 behind the champions Sabrina Ijsenbout and Wendy Ijsenbout, from Holland.

Rushmoor pair Holland and MacDonald impressed in the 50-59 Duet – Free routine and finished in third place to add to their medal haul.

They narrowly missed out on the silver, with 60.5000 points.

The gold medal went to the German duo of Hohlstein-Janssen and Hohlstein-Terrwesten, who scored 65.6667, with Italy’s Maria Paola Giacomini and Francesca Scorpion taking the silver with 61.100 points.