Calgary Aquabelles win four golds on the last day of Synchro Canada's 2015 Canadian Qualifier

Victoria, March 28, 2015 — The Calgary Aquabelles won four gold medals today at Synchro Canada’s 2015 Canadian Qualifier Championships, taking first spot in the 13-15 and junior team events, as well as the 13-15 duet and junior solo competitions.

In the junior team final, the Aquabelles earned 76.1659 points for their “Dream Team” routine. Toronto’s Aretaic Alliance were second at 75.0880 and SynchroElite, from Quebec City, third at 74.9963.

“We really swam as a team”, said team member Abby Russell. “Our team is all about swimming with energy while staying calm and controlled at the same time, and I feel like we were able to do that tonight.”

In junior solo, Calgary’s Halle Pratt took gold with 78.2841 points, Wenjing Deng of Toronto’s Aretaic Synchronized Swimming Alliance was second at 77.3021 and Andrée-Anne Côté of SynchroElite in Québec City third at 77.1010.

“I’m very happy with my performance”, said Pratt, who had placed second in the figures event earlier in the week. “This year, I’m Medusa in my solo. It’s a little creepy and snaky, which allows me to explore a whole different side of my personality”.

In the 13-15 team final, the Aquabelles, swimming on a routine themed “The Chase”, earned 73.3042 points to capture gold. The team from Aretaic Alliance was second at 72.3222 and Montreal Synchro third at 70.6359.

“We’re very happy with this win”, said team member Adora Kruger. “We had a miss on one of our highlights but we were able to stick together and push through for the rest of the routine. This will give us the confidence to keep working in preparation for the Canadian Championships in June”.

In the 13-15 duet final, Paige Hopper and Cassandra Winkelaar of the Aquabelles were first at 75.2463, followed by two pairs from Toronto’s Aretaic Alliance: Emily Armstrong and Teghyn Gurney, who were second at 74.1572, and Catherine Barrett and Makenna Williams, third at 71.7843.

The pair from Calgary, who had won a silver medal in the duet event at the 2015 Canada Games last month, was happy to get the gold in Victoria. “We’re very excited about the win”, said Winkelaar. “Since Canada Games, we’ve been working on synchronization and expression, and we feel like the hard work paid off today”, added Hopper.

In senior competition, Kali Wong of Dollard Synchro won the solo free event with a score of 77.2333, followed by Gabrielle Cadotte of Montreal Synchro and Petra Regini of Aretaic.

The Canadian Qualifier Championships are the opportunity for athletes of the junior and senior age group to earn a ticket to the Shiseido Canadian Open Championships, which will be held April 28-May 2 in Toronto, ON. The athletes of the 13-15 age group will look to qualify for the Canadian Espoir Championships, held June 3-7 in Saint John, NB.

Over 430 athletes took part in the competition which was held at Saanich Commonwealth Place.

About Synchro Canada

Synchro Canada is the national organization governing synchronized swimming in Canada. It represents 10 provincial associations, a territorial association, as well as some 150 clubs and 12,000 members across Canada. A member of FINA, the world’s governing aquatic sports organization, Synchro Canada promotes the quest for excellence by developing the athletes, citizens and ambassadors of the sport of synchronized swimming at every level.

Synchro Canada would like to thank its sponsors:

Program partners: Sport Canada, Own The Podium, the Institut national du sport du Québec

Official Aquatic Supplier: Speedo Canada

Official make up: MAKE UP FOR EVER

Official suppliers: Knox Gelatine, AdUp, National Car Rental

Official hotel: Hilton Hotels Canada

For further information, visit Synchro Canada’s Website at www.synchro.ca or follow Synchro Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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For information:

Stéphane Côté

Synchro Canada

Communications Coordinator