Wenjing Deng first in junior figures at Synchro Canada's 2015 Canadian Qualifier Championships

Paige Hopper wins solo in 13-15 age group

Victoria, March 26, 2015 — Wending Deng of Toronto’s Aretaic Synchronized Swimming Alliance won the junior figures competition Thursday at Synchro Canada’s 2015 Canadian Qualifier Championships.

Deng posted the top score with 76.1710 points. Halle Pratt of the Calgary Aquabelles was a very close second at 76.1350 and Andrée-Anne Côté from SynchroElite in Quebec City third at 75.5020. All three athletes were members of the 2014 Junior National Team that took part in the World Junior Championships in Helsinki last summer.

“I’m obviously very pleased with the way things went today”, said Deng, in her final junior year. “During such a long event, it’s important to be able to stay focused. I’m proud that I managed to keep my usual preparation routine and to stay calm today”.

Deng will go into Saturday afternoon’s Junior Solo event with a slight lead: “I’ve been working very hard on my solo choreography over the past weeks and I can’t wait to perform it in competition”.

In the 13-15 solo event, Calgary’s Hopper, who had won gold for Alberta a month ago in the solo event at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, repeated as solo champion in Victoria with 75.3507 points. Emily Armstrong of Aretaic Synchronized Swimming Alliance in Toronto was second at 74.6275 and Cassandra Winkelaar, also of the Aquabelles, third at 73.6085.

“I’m very proud of today’s performance”, said 13 year-old Hopper. “After Canada Games, I knew I had to improve my execution and I felt I did that today, especially with my vertical lines”.

In the senior technical solo event, Kali Wong of Dollard Synchro took top spot. Brooke Brimo of Montreal Synchro was second and Breanne Law of the Calgary Aquabelles third.

In the senior technical duet, Cossette Leblanc and Kali Wong of Dollard Synchro were the winners.

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 are taking part in the competition, which continues through to Saturday at Saanich Commonwealth Place.

Schedule for Friday, March 27

8:00am – 11:00pm	JUNIOR – Duets Finals
11:30pm – 2:00pm	13-15 – Team Preliminaries
2:30pm – 3:30pm	SENIOR – Team Free Finals
4:00pm – 6:00pm	JUNIOR – Team Preliminaries
7:00pm – 8:00pm	SENIOR – Duet Free Finals

Detailed results are available online at www.synchro.ca.

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