Southland girls in synch
A haul of medals was not the only success for Southland synchronised swimmers competing at the national championships last week, the team winning compliments from an international sport veteran.
Phoenix Synchro Southland coach Kirstin Anderson said the team of 23 had seven wins at the four-day competition, with 14 podium places out of 16 events.
The girls who took part were aged between eight and 18 years and 10 were named in New Zealand squads. ‘‘We always hoped to do well. We definitely exceeded the expectations of how many [placings] we would get.’’
However, it was also an honour to be complimented on the teams routines, in particular their chorography, by elite British synchronised swimming coach Jenny Gray.
Gray was award an MBE, Member to the Order of the British Empire, in 2016 for her dedication to the sport, following 52 years of work in the field.
She was a member of the first Great Britain national team in 1968.
Anderson said ‘‘it was really good to get feedback from her.’’
Standout performers at the event were 12-year-old Louise Sutherland who placed first in five events. Ali Robertson, aged 16, also did well to win the 16-18 year combo – which was a hard category to win, Anderson said.
The Southland club, with about 60 members, was the second largest in New Zealand behind North Shore in Auckland.
During the years the multidiscipline sport, which combined the likes of dancing, swimming, gymnastics and strength training, had progressed and was now a lot more physically demanding, Anderson said.
‘‘Lifts are always the hardest thing to master. They require team work and a lot of strength.’’
Next month, those in New Zealand squads would travel to either Argentina and Brazil or Singapore and Malaysia for competitions. A judging school was also held to coincide with the national champs, where three Southlanders were awarded international judging qualifications.