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SYNCHRO: Jones Places Fifth For U.S. at Worlds-- France wins gold in solo event
// Mandy Haskett // July 22, 2005
Montreal, Can.-- French soloist, Virginie Dedieu, won gold in the final solo event at the FINA World Championships, with a score of 99.001, Thursday in Montreal. Russia placed second with Spain and Japan following closely in third and fourth place. United States World Championship team member, Christina Jones, won fifth place with a score of 95.417. Just 17 years old, Jones is already a five-time international competitor. Christina won bronze at the 2005 Rome Open, silver in duet at the 2004 Junior Worlds in Moscow (fourth in team), silver at the 2004 German Open, and returns to Montreal this year-- the site of her International debut: "I was here when the World Juniors were held here in 2002. I like this venue a lot. This area of Montreal is beautiful," Jones said. Having practiced the routine since January, Jones said, "My favorite part of the routine is when I turn from good to evil because it is such a fun part to play. I am aiming for perfection. Even though I don’t think I will reach it for another couple of years, I am working towards this goal." Christina, who was born in Missoula, Mont., currently resides in Fremont, Calif. and swims for the Santa Clara Aquamaids in addition to the 2005 World Championship Team. This is her third appointment to the National Team. "I am really excited," Christina said, "I came here without any expectations. There is no one here who is younger than me, I am still junior, so it is great to compete against all the good swimmers. (About her 5th place finish) Anything ranking would do!" In addition to her solo performance, Jones will compete in the team finals Saturday as well. -USA Synchronized Swimming- USA Synchronized Swimming is the national governing body for the sport of synchronized swimming. Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Synchronized Swimming offers diversified programs geared toward the broadest number of synchronized swimming enthusiasts, from the novice to the world champion. USA Synchronized Swimming conducts six national championship events annually, sanctions hundreds of events managed by its member clubs and is responsible for training and selecting teams that represent the United States at international events such as the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games. For additional information, please call USA Synchronized Swimming at 317-237-5700 or visit www.usasynchro.org. For event information, please visit www.montreal2005.org.
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