Natalia Ischenko and Svetlana Romashina won the Olympics synchronised swimming test event.
London audience thrilled by superb routine
Russian synchronised swimming star Natalia Ischenko teamed up with Svetlana Romashina to win the Olympics test event at the London Aquatics Centre.
Ischenko has won 15 world titles dating back to 2005 and the 26-year-old was also part of the Russian team that triumphed in Beijing. This summer she could well claim two more Olympic titles.
Were the solo event, in which she is world champion, in the Olympics, Ischenko could reasonably hope to secure more titles.
The Russian pair were in a class of their own and there was a real sense of anticipation among the crowd in the moments before their three and a half minute programme, which they began by performing the splits on poolside.
The audience was mesmerised by the Russians while the judges were similarly impressed and marked the pair separately for artistic impression and technical merit, awarding them 98.150 points.
Pole position
Combined with their score in Wednesday's technical routine, it gave the Russians victory with 195.950pts ahead of Spain and Ukraine.
While Russia are defending Olympic champions, it was Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova who comprised the duet.
However, Ischenko and Romashina are now in pole position to take over that mantle.
Ischenko puts her success down to hard work, her coach and her own ability as well as that of Romashina.
Of her future plans, Ischenko said: "My main priority is to prepare for the Olympic Games.
"Depending on the results here, I shall decide afterwards whether I shall carry on."
