(clockwisefrom front) Amie Thompson, Danielle Kettlewell, Kazia Zenke and Jane Fruznski.
Camera Icon(clockwisefrom front) Amie Thompson, Danielle Kettlewell, Kazia Zenke and Jane Fruznski. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie d470452

WA synchronised swimmers return from successful Spanish Open Championships

Montana ArdonWestern Suburbs Weekly

IT WAS all smiles for four of Australia’s best synchronised swimmers, as they splashed around in their home training pool at HBF Stadium after returning from the recent Spanish Open Championships in the Canary Islands.

Part of Australia’s senior national team of eight, Danielle Kettlewell (24), Amie Thompson (21), Kazia Zenke (16) and Jane Fruzynski (16) competed against international teams including Ukraine, Spain and Kazakhstan, where they placed fifth in both the technical and free team events.

Head coach Briana Preiss, a former synchronised swimmer, said the girls stuck to a busy training schedule.

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“When they are not on training camp, they train three hours in the water, six days a week and then about an hour of land training plus anytime to stretch and do recovery,” she said.

“Once the team is selected, they train together for two weeks out of every month.”

In 2016, Kettlewell and Thompson competed at the Olympics in Rio, and Zenke and Fruzynski competed at the Junior World Championships in Kazan, Russia.

Synchronised swimming was axed from the Commonwealth Games after Delhi 2010, which Ms Preiss said was disappointing.

“Sadly, synchronised swimming is no longer part of the Commonwealth Games,” she said.

“However, WA did host a Commonwealth Festival in 2015 with hopes of being part of the Commonwealth Games again.”

The girls will enjoy a brief stay at home for the next few weeks while they prepare for the FINA World Championships held in Budapest in July.

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