Shortman and Thorpe finish fifth at 2016 Comen Cup

Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe impressed to finish fifth at the 2016 Comen Cup in Netanya, Israel.

The English pair scored 79.5333 for their free routine in the Duet final, finishing on 154.4524.

• Click here to watch the English girls’ final routine from the 2016 Comen Cup on YouTube.

The Comen Cup is contested by some of the world’s top 13-15 year old synchronised swimmers. Swimmers from the top eight Mediterranean countries progress to the final, as well as the top four from non-Mediterranean nations.

Competing at the event for the third successive year, Shortman and Thorpe improved on their eighth place finish from the 2015 event in Ostia, Italy.

The pair scored 77.0333 for their free routine in the prelims, placing ninth for the routine and fifth overall after their figures scores were added.

Top 20 placings for both in Figures

Both swimmers placed in the top 20 for figures, with Shortman 13th on 76.2614 and Thorpe 19th on 73.5767. The pair finished 32nd and 36th for figures 12 months ago.

Performing last in the Duet final, the City of Bristol pair added more than 2.5 to their routine score, closing the gap on fourth-placed Ukraine (154.5736) to less than 0.2 points.

Russia (162.5122), Japan (157.4396) and Spain (156.9130) made up the top three in Israel but the English pair finished ahead of duets from France, Greece and Italy.

Shortman was unlucky not to make the Solo final in Israel, ranking seventh in the prelims on 153.4281 after a routine score of 77.1667.

While she was comfortably in the top 12, the 15-year old was the sixth ranked swimmer from a non-Mediterranean country, with only the top four progressing.

Mimi Gray ranked fourth in 2003 age group

Reading Royals’ Mimi Gray also travelled with the English girls to compete at her first Comen Cup.

Gray is unbeaten in figures, solo, duet and team at the past two ASA National Age Group Championships.

And the 13-year old matched up well against her international peers, scoring 68.3324 for figures to place 93rd overall, but fourth for swimmers born in 2003.

• Head to our results library to download a PDF of results from the Comen Cup 2016.