Text: Thiago Minete    Photos: Rio 2016/ Alex Ferro

Ukraine, Japan and Italy claimed the last three places in the synchronsied swimming team event at the Rio 2016 Games as the Olympic qualifying tournament came to an end on Sunday (6 March). The competition, which doubled up as the Rio 2016 test event, also saw the final places in the duets event decided as the renovated Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre staged its second and last test event before the Olympic Games in August.
 

“Some of us cried, others hugged, but we were all shouting a lot”

Sara Sgarzi, Italy

Sgarzi was describing the most tense moment of the event. With the top two places virtually guaranteed for two of the favourites, Japan and Ukraine, the Italians were in third but had to wait for the Canadians to perform. When the result came up on the big screen, it was party time for the Italians, who will be in the team event for the first time in 12 years.

“The city is beautiful, the weather, the people, the food... everything. It gave us even more motivation to qualify and come back here”

Sara Sgarzi

Become a synchronised swimming expert with our interactive infographic
 

                                      
                                         The Italians celebrate returning to the Olympic Games after 12 years

Check out the best images from the synchronsied swimming Olympic qualifier

About 2,500 people watched Sunday’s denouement and witnessed more delighted screaming as Ukraine took gold and qualified for the team event for the first time.

“Our aim was to take gold and we even managed to win gold. The fans were fantastic”

Anna Voloshyna, Ukraine

Video: check out part of Ukraine’s routine:

Olha que show a apresentação do Nado Sincronizado no Maria Lenk. Esse é o time da Ucrânia, e já já é a vez do Brasil pic.twitter.com/zfGUuj3vjq

— Brasil 2016 (@Brasil2016) 5 marzo 2016

Ukraine, Japan and Italy join Australia, China, Egypt, Russia and Brazil in the line-up for the Rio 2016 team event. The big surprise was the failure of Spain, who won silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at London 2012, to qualify.

“People say our sport doesn’t change, with the favourites always winning, but today we have seen that this is not always true”

Stefania Tudini, president of FINA’s synchronised swimming technical committee 

Anna Voloshyna helped Ukraine earn an unprecendented place in the team event at the Olympic Games 

Duet places confirmed

Sunday also saw the final four duet places confirmed, with Argentina, Great Britain, Slovakia and Belarus winning Olympic slots. FINA, aquatic sport’s world governing body, confirmed that 11 other duets other won places over the course of the qualifying event: Spain, France, Greece, Mexico, Austria, the USA, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Colombia and Israel. Canada had already qualifed and with the eight nations who won team places also earning duet slots, all 24 places are now allocated.

Spain’s star duet use flamenco to qualify for Rio 2016

Follow the race to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Maria Lenk approved

With the synchronised swimming test event following last month’s diving test event, the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre will now undergo final improvements before the Olympic Games. The changng rooms will be renovated and other adjustments will be made before it stages the water polo group phase, diving and synchronsied swimming in August.

“The different sports bring different demands and this is our main challenge. The test events have been well evaluated and brought some important lessons”

Agberto Guimarães, Rio 2016’s  executive director sport

The synchronsied swimming Olympic qualifier was the 28th Rio 2016 test event and the eighth at Barra Olympic Park, which will host its next test event next week: Aquece Rio International Judo Tournament in Carioca Arena 1 on 8-9 March.

“We are pleased with this test event, the organisation was good, the technical level was high and venue meet all the demands”

Stefania Tudini, president of FINA’s synchronised swimming technical committee 

The Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre will have some final adjustments made before the Rio 2016 Games

Rio2016.com is not an absolute authority on qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an ongoing process. Final places will only be confirmed in July 2016 (for the Olympic Games) and August 2016 (for the Paralympic Games). The qualification systems are defined by each sport’s respective International Federation and the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and are subject to change. When an athlete or team wins a quota place for their nation, the final decision on whether this ‘slot’ is used and which athletes are sent is taken by the respective National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee (NOC or NPC). Even when athletes win a ‘nominal’ place for themselves, NOCs/NPCs may have to decide who to send if the number of qualified athletes from one country exceeds the quota.