The Calgary Aquabelles won the gold medal Thursday in the 13-15 age group team combo event at the 2012 Canadian Espoir Championships synchronized swimming competition.

The Aquabelles totalled 70.967 points with Toronto’s Granite Synchro second at 69.234 and Toronto’s Variety Village Synchro Club third 67.300. It’s a first national championships medal for Variety Village which is co-hosting this event with Synchro Ontario under the leadership of Synchro Canada.

‘’This is a routine we’ve been working on all season and it was thrill to do it so well today,’’ said Aquabelles team combo captain McKenna Armstrong-Vanlaar about the country and western flavoured number.  ‘’We knew from watching the juniors perform it last year that it was going to be a very challenging routine.’’

In the 13-15 figures event, Wenjing Deng led Granite Synchro to a 1-2 finish with 71.604 points.  She edged Caroline Marshall in second at 71.393 and Halle Pratt of the Aquabelles in third at 71.298.

‘’For me the most important aspect was keeping my focus from start to finish,’’ said Deng.  ‘’It’s been a real challenge for me not to get distracted while I’m doing figures.  So I’m very happy with this performance.’’

The top-25 in the 13-15 figures event advance to Phase 2 Sunday, May 27.  The top 16 from Phase 2 will advance to a selection camp in June held at the Centre of Excellence in Montreal.  The camp will determine Synchro Canada’s 2012 13-15 National Team scheduled to compete at the 2012 Mediterranean Cup set for July 19-22 in Spain.

Synchro Canada’s 2012 13-15 National Team head coach Nathalie Lagrange (Montréal Synchro, Saint-Léonard, QC) with assistant coaches Kara Kalin (Richmond, B.C., Vancouver Pacific Wave) and Elena Podolsky (Toronto, ON, Olympium Synchro) will select the 10-member team.

About Synchro Canada
Synchro Canada is the national organization governing synchronized swimming in Canada. It represents 10 provincial associations, a territorial association, as well as some 150 clubs and 12,000 members across Canada. A member of FINA, the world’s governing aquatic sports organization, Synchro Canada promotes the quest for excellence by developing the athletes, citizens and ambassadors of the sport of synchronized swimming at every level. Synchro Canada would like to thank its sponsors:

Program partners: Sport Canada, Own The Podium, B2ten, the Centre national multisport-Montréal
Official suppliers: Speedo, Knox Gelatine, AdUp, MKI Travel, National Car Rental
Official make up: MAKE UP FOR EVER
Official hotel: Hilton Hotels Canada
Official Charity Partner: Plan Canada’s Because I am A Girl Program

For further information, visit Synchro Canada’s Website at www.synchro.ca or follow Synchro Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

For information:
Patrick Godbout
Synchro Canada
Communications Manager
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cell.: (514) 213-9897
Website : www.synchro.ca
Facebook: Synchro Canada
Twitter : www.twitter.com/synchrocanada