NZ returns to Olympic synch swimming after 24 years

Synchro sisters second last at games

Reuters

JUST FOR FUN: Dunedin sisters Nina and Lisa Daniels became the first New Zealanders to compete in Olympic Games synchronised swimming since Los Angeles in 1984.

Relevant offers

Aquatics

Coventry gets US$100,000 from Mugabe Why Phelps was the star of the Games 'Pool rat' Phelps found focus on path to gold Reaching Olympus in open water Chinese mob Phelps lookalike (+video) Phelps' coach reveals preparation tricks Great springboard victory for He Chong Synch sisters happy with performance Phelps second to Golden Girls NZ returns to Olympic synch swimming after 24 years

Don't bother asking Olympic Games synchronised swimming sisters Nina and Lisa Daniels what they think of their score as soon as they climb out of the pool, they don't know and they don't want to.

Performing a fun routine to a Ukrainian dance tune, the Dunedin sisters yesterday became the first New Zealanders to compete in Olympic Games synchronised swimming since Los Angeles in 1984.

The judges were tough on their technical routine, giving them 40.500 for execution and 41.000 for overall impression, for a total of 40.750.

That placed them 23rd of 24 duets.

But though the judges' scores were broadcast over the public address system as the sisters stood poolside, they never listened.

"We're not really too focused on that, we weren't paying any attention to that, we were focusing on how we felt, we went out there and did everything we could," Lisa said.

"We normally try not to focus on the scores, it's more if we did our best and today I felt like we did our best so..."

After two weeks training in Beijing and 10 months in Toronto, they could not wait to get started, though the were pleased to have time in China to polish their routine.

Tomorrow the Commonwealth Games bronze medallists contest the duet free, where they go through their own routine, as opposed to today's round where swimmers have certain moves they must perform.

Katie and Lynette Sadlier contested the 1984 Los Angeles Games in New Zealand colours, but they did not have to go through the qualifying hoops Dunedin's Daniels sisters endured to make it to Beijing.

- NZPA