'Masterpiece' wins team gold for Russia

Russia put in an exquisite routine to take gold

Russia sealed the Olympic gold medal in the team synchronised swimming event with a performance hailed as a masterpiece by one of their star performers.

The world and European champions, who until Tuesday when they took the duet title had never won an Olympic synchronised swimming medal, gave an innovative free routine of fluid movement and controlled artistry to the music of Mussorgsky's "Night on the Bare Mountain".

"I believe it was a masterpiece. If it wasn't we wouldn't have won gold," said Maria Kisseleva, who won the duet gold with Olga Brusnikina. Both women were on the Russian team.

But Japan, who performed to a composition called "The Bird of Wonder", ran them close in intricate skill and even outscored them in perfect 10s.

Psychologically difficult

Japan got five maximums, with four of them for artistic impression, compared with four for Russia, two for technical merit and two for artistic impression.

But the Russians scored 99.146, with Japan taking silver with 98.860 and Canada winning the bronze on 97.357.

Defending champions the United States finished in fifth position on 96.104 points behind fourth-place France (96.467).

Japan pushed Russia close, and got more perfect marks

"Psychologically this routine was more difficult than physically. We were leading in the competition and everyone was expecting us to perform. The Japanese were breathing down our necks," said Kisseleva.

"Even though we swam before we had never seen a 10," said team member Rei Jimbo. "It was a first-time experience and looked really beautiful."

Japan's Miya Tachibana, who won duet silver with Miho Takeda, said: "We worked very hard but we were still a step behind the Russians and there is still room for improvement for us."

The United States, the most successful synchronised swimmers since the sport's inclusion in the 1984 Olympics, go home empty-handed after coming fifth in the team and fourth in the duet.

The United States and Canada had shared every synchro gold and silver since the sport was introduced at the Los Angeles Games - and Japan had taken every bronze.

USA, the defending champions, could only place fifth

Kisseleva was fortunate to be able to compete in the Olympics after she tested positive for ephedrine earlier this year.

She and Brusnikova were stripped of the European duet title in July when Kisseleva failed her test after they had won the crown for the third successive time in Helsinki in July.

Kisseleva escaped with a one-month ban, which enabled her to compete in Sydney. Ephedrine usually carries a three-month suspension and that would have ruled her out of the Olympics.

But she was given a lighter sentence, the Russian federation said, because she had unwittingly taken the substance in a supplement given to her by a doctor to control her weight.