April 16, 2012
STANFORD, Calif. - Five Stanford synchronized swimmers will compete with the U.S. National Team as it attempts to qualify for the 2012 London Games at the FINA Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in London, April 18-22.
Representing Stanford are Megan Hansley (New Canaan, Conn.), Maria Koroleva (Concord, Calif.), Michelle Moore (Tonawanda, N.Y.), Olivia Morgan (Lafayette, Calif.) and Morgan Fuller (Sunnyvale, Calif.) is the alternate.
Team USA will be competing to earn spots in the team and duet competitions at the London Aquatics Centre this week. Nine countries are vying for three qualification places in the team competition. Any country that qualifies in the team event automatically qualifies a duet. The next best-ranked duets will qualify until the maximum number of 24 duets is reached.
Eight teams and 24 duets will compete at the London Olympics when the synchronized swimming event begins on Aug. 5. Five countries have already qualified teams (and duets) during 2011 by being the top-ranked squad at their respective continental championships. The teams that have already qualified are Canada, China, Australia, Egypt and Great Britain (as host nation).
The U.S. duet is comprised of Mary Killman and Koroleva, who won a silver medal last year at the Pan American Games in their first competition together. Caitlin Stewart is the duet alternate.
The U.S. earned two bronze medals in its most recent competition at the Spanish Open in February. Last year, Team USA won two silver medals in team and duet at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The U.S. spent last week training at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin, Ireland, where it performed an exhibition before a sell-out crowd of more than 2,000 fans.
Olympic Qualification Tournament schedule
Wednesday, April 18: Duet technical, 3 p.m.
Thursday, April 19: Team technical, 3 p.m.
Friday, April 20: Duet free first round (final), 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 21: Team free, 3 p.m.; victory celebration, 4:19 p.m.
Sunday, April 22: Duet free second round (lowest ranked duets compete for last remaining qualification places), 3 p.m.
All times are local to the site of competition
Countries competing at Olympic Qualification Tournament
Teams: Brazil, France, Great Britain**, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, United States
Duets: Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain**, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, North Korea, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela
** As host country, Great Britain has already qualified its team and duet for the Olympic Games
Courtesy of USA Synchro