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The world champion in synchronized swimming Natalia Ishchenko has won six gold medals in Shanghai, China, her total record reaching sixteen wins at world championships. This is an absolute result.
A 16-time world champion, Natalia has confessed she can’t believe in the reality of her six victories at the World Aquatic Championships in Shanghai.
Ishchenko won two team medals with Russia and four other events -- solo technical, solo free, duet technical and duet free. Russia also won the only event that Ishchenko didn't compete in, the team technical.
Up to now nobody has managed to get as many gold medals in synchronized swimming. At that Ishchenko is the only synchronized swimmer who could win such prestigious competitions in all the events: solo technical, solo free, duet technical and duet free.
“I can’t fully believe in the reality of the achieved results. It’s hard to recognize we really did it. Yesterday before the duet I had a thought: “I can’t do it anymore". But then, I concentrated and collected myself”, RIA News quotes Ishchenko’s impressions after her triumph at the world championship in Shanghai.
Having become a six-time world champion (and sixteen-time all in all) Ishchenko could make an absolute record for all the time but she didn’t prepare the technical program with the team. That is why somebody else may win all seven gold medals at a world championship. Natalia used to promise she might leave her synchronized swimming career after London Olympics in 2012. Though who knows exactly…
After completing brilliantly their performances Russian swimmers are dreaming of having a good rest. And today Natalia Ishchenko and the Russian team have returned back home. Nevertheless even having such a result the girls have to qualify for the London Olympics in April next year.
Nowadays it’s highly appreciated to perform recognizable images at the competitions. And this time in Shanghai the Russian team created an element, they performed a wind of travelling, a wind of change, and a wind of desert, fire, water and sand.
After having rest the sportsmen are to prepare a new program. “The present program is two years old”, noted Ishchenko. “We are going to make a new technical program. The free one will remain the same. The program doesn’t “live” more than two years. And we are to perform at the European championship and Swimming World Cup with it.”
“At London Olympics we are planning to show a long program. A Brazilian composer has written music specially for us. He wrote us the music for the last Games as well. This time the topic is marine. We will portray mermaids and seamen, who are trying to catch them. ”
In sum, Ishchenko now has 16 world titles, as well as a pair of silver medals in world championship competition. Her triumphs have come in the technical solo routine (2007, 2009, 2011), solo free (2009, 2011), technical duet (2009, 2011), duet free (2009, 2011), team (2005), technical team (2007), free team (2007, 2009) and combination free (2005, 2007, 2011).
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Author: Irina Fomina
