European Games
Austrian duet Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri won their first major synchronized swimming title at the European Games in Poland. The two sisters scored 266.4584 points in the technical freestyle in Oswiecim on Thursday and thus celebrated a superior victory with a lead of more than 18 points. For Austria it was already the second gold medal at the European Games, previously karateka Bettina Plank conquered the title in the kumite class up to 50 kg.
22.06.2023 20.30
Online since yesterday, 8.30 p.m. (Update: yesterday, 10.10 p.m.)
The Alexandris achieved their greatest success to date with gold at the European Games after two silver medals at the European Championships in Rome 2022 and one bronze medal at the World Championships in Budapest 2022. “It’s incredible. We were very nervous before the competition, you saw with other favorites how quickly mistakes can happen. We took risks and we were rewarded, the relief is huge. Gold, we can’t believe it,” said the sisters after the triumph.
Behind the Austrians, silver went to Bregje Maria and Marloes Steenbeek from the Netherlands with 248.4283 points. Third place went to Sofia Malkogeorgou and Evangelia Platanioti from Greece with 245.6899 points. The Ukrainians Maryna and Wladyslawa Aleksijwa, who won gold at the European Championships in Rome, had to settle for fourth place with 245.0501 points.
Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier Anna-Maria (left) and Eirini-Marina Alexandri are happy about their premiere gold
The change in the evaluation criteria should have had a positive effect on the Austrians. Among other things, more emphasis is placed on difficulty. On Thursday, the Alexandris showed the most difficult exercises and overall the performance with the highest degree of difficulty.
more on the subject
Plank fights for title again
Another gold chance on Saturday
On Saturday (5:00 p.m.) the Alexandris also have the chance to win a medal in the free program. After the preliminary fight, the two 25-year-olds are in first place. The addition of the ratings of the two final competitions decides on the allocation of the one Olympic quota place to be allocated in these continental title fights.
Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri have another triplet sister, Vasiliki Alexandri is a solo synchronized swimmer. However, this will not be held in Poland.
