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Countdown to Beijing '08 - Synchro outlook
// USOC Media Services // October 3, 2006
Outlook
The 2006 U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Team is a young team with little international experience. The team consists of only one returning athlete, Andrea Nott, from the 2004 Olympic Games; she served as the reserve during the Athens Games. The youth will serve as an advantage as the team is incredibly enthusiastic and focused on Beijing 2008.
Full time training for National Team I started in May of 2006 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. International competition for 2006 included the Swiss Open (July 13-16), the FINA World Cup (Sept. 10-18) in Yokohama, Japan and still to come is the FINA World Trophy (Oct. 26-29) in Moscow, Russia. The National Team will also represent the U.S. in the FINA World Championships in Melbourne Australia, March 18-April 1, 2007.
United States Synchronized Swimming will hold the 2007 Pan American and 2008 Olympic Games Duet Trials in early December of 2006. The 2007 Pan American and 2008 Olympic Team will be announced at the 2007 U.S. National Championships held April 25-29 in Indianapolis, Ind. The chosen team will begin full time training immediately in preparation for the Pan American Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 14-19, 2007. Full time training for the 2008 Olympic Games will begin in August of 2007.
Storylines
Christina Jones
Jones is considered the top athlete from this very young team. She finished fifth in the world last year at the FINA World Championships, in her first international Senior competition. She was "discovered" by Anna Kozlova, a past Olympian, and she easily fits the mold of the perfect All-American girl. She is very much a natural leader and has the personality and physical attributes to go along with her talent. She would be the perfect "face" of the 2008 Olympic Synchronized Team.
Barb Nesbitt
Nesbitt is the daughter of Sue Nesbitt (former World Champion and current Junior National Team Coach) and the sister of 2004 Olympian Stephanie Nesbitt. She actually took a break from the sport in 2004 but was encouraged to come back after receiving encouragement from her sister and the 2004 Olympic Team.
Kate Hooven
Hooven has been chosen as one of the 2006 National Team I Captains. Her boyfriend is a professional tri-athlete whom she met at the Olympic Training Center. They help each other train as he has introduced her to cross-training and she has helped him with flexibility, etc. She has found it very beneficial to surround herself with someone on the same elite level as her, but who competes in a different sport. They also both have the same goal in mind: Beijing 2008.
Team Selection Procedures
Nine athletes and one reserve (replacement athlete) will be nominated to the Pan American and Olympic Games Teams. The nominated Pan American and Olympic Duet will automatically be named to the Pan American and Olympic Games Teams as part of the nine athletes. (Please see Duet Athlete selection procedures at www.usasynchro.org).
Athletes will participate in 5 different phases as described below:
Phase 1 – Technical Element Testing and Water Split Testing (50 advance to Phase 2) - April 26, 2006, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Phase 2 – Additional Technical Element Testing and National Team Standard Testing (a minimum of 34 advance to Phase 3), April 27, 2006, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Phase 3 – Routine Selection Camp (14 advance to Phase 4), Fall/Winter 2006-07, the date and location of this Camp will be determined no later than forty-five days prior to the event.
Phase 4 – Technical Element Testing and Water Split Testing (12 advance to Phase 5), Fall/Winter 2006-2007, at the site of Phase 3 Routine Selection Camp, the date and location of this Camp will be determined no later than forty-five days prior to the event.
Phase 5 – Non-Water criteria and Technical Routine Trials Competition (9 members of the Team, plus one reserve athlete, advance), Spring 2007, training site to be determined no later than forty-five days prior to training.
Duet Selection Procedures
Nine athletes and one reserve (replacement athlete) will be nominated to the Pan American and Olympic Games Teams (see Team Selection Procedures, 2007 Pan American Games and 2008 Olympic Games). The 2007 Pan American and 2008 Olympic Duet candidates will be selected at the Duet Olympic Trials held in conjunction with the 2007 Senior Team Trials, Phase 3. The winning Duet will, except in the case of injury, illness or other circumstances described in these selection procedures, be nominated by U.S. Synchronized Swimming as the Pan American and Olympic Duet as two of the nine athletes.
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