SYNCH: U.S. Finishes Seventh in Team Tech Routine at FINA World Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Artistic Swimming
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2009 U.S. National Team, led by Ohio State synchronized swimming head coach Linda Lichter-Witter, finished seventh in the team technical routine Sunday in the FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy. The synchronized swimming portion of the championships runs from July 18-25 at the Foro Italico.
The U.S. team earned a 93.333, 5.5 points behind gold-medal winner Russia’s 98.833. Spain was second with a 97.833, while China rounded out the Top 3 (96.667).
The U.S. performed the “Action” routine accompanied with music from the Godfather Remix that debuted at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Lichter-Witter is coaching some familiar faces in Rome as five current or former Buckeyes are on the U.S. roster. Meghan Kinney, Jillian Penner, Hannah Shively, a Westerville, Ohio, native, Michelle Theriault and former letterwinner Leah Pinette (2005-08) have earned roster spots for the FINA championships. A fairly young team, Pinette, who graduated from Ohio State in 2008 with a degree in marketing, is the oldest swimmer on the team at 23 years.
Penner and Kinney (alternate) were members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that finished fifth in Beijing. Kinney is a captain of the squad along with Layla Smith, a student at the University of Phoenix. The trio of Penner, Kinney and Smith was a part of the 2007 U.S. National Team that won the bronze medal at the FINA World Championships in the free and combination routine.
Buckeye letterwinner and 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist Karen Josephson (1982-85) is serving as the technical consultant for the squad, while Ohio State athletic training graduate assistant Ashley Clark contributes her expertise and skills to Team USA throughout the duration of the event. Denise Shively, the mother of Hannah Shively is the team manager.
2009 U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Team
Debbie Chen
Mary Killman
Meghan Kinney
Maria Koroleva
Olivia Morgan
Jillian Penner
Leah Pinette
Hannah Shively
Layla Smith
Michelle Theriault
Lyssa Wallace
Alison Williams
2009 FINA World Championships Synchronized Swimming Schedule
Rome, Italy
Venue: Foro Italico
Tuesday, July 21: Duet Tech Final, Free Combination Preliminaries
Wednesday, July 22: Free Combination Final, Solo Free Preliminaries
Thursday, July 23: Solo Free Final, Duet Free Preliminaries
Friday, July 24: Duet Free Final, Team Free Preliminaries
Saturday, July 25: Team Free Final
