Simoneau takes 5th for solo synchronized swim routine at FINA World Championships

The 17th FINA World Championships will continue to run until July 30th in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Liz Corman/Syncro Canada)

It hasn’t been too shabby of a showing for Montreal athletes competing in the synchronized swimming World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Twenty-year-old Jacqueline Simoneau – originally from Montreal-- took fifth place in the Solo Technical Final event. As the final person to compete in the 12-member field, Simoneau was beat out by Svetlana Kolesnichenko of Russia, Spain’s Ona Carbonell, and Anna Voloshyna --- who finished in first, second and third place, respectively.

Simoneau will be competing in the Free Routine Finals this coming Wednesday, and she is optimistic that her performance will be improved in that event.

“I’ve had more time to work on it and so I feel more comfortable with the elements and the program overall. That has allowed me to develop the emotional, artistic side of my swimming, and I love reaching out and connecting with the judges and the audience,” Simoneau said in a statement Saturday.

In the Mixed Duet competition, Isabelle Blanchet-Rampling, 31, and Robert Prevost, 37, took the 6^th place out of 10 entries, and have qualified for the finals on Monday.

The pair scored 81.3330 in their first world championship event, but were succeeded by teams from Russia, Italy, and USA.

Simoneau will be swimming alongside Claudia Holzner in the Duet Tech Finals on Sunday – they will be the first of 12 pairs to swim in the finals.

Also not to be missed tomorrow: Team Canada debuts a new technical routine based upon singer Lindsey Stirling’s album Brave Enough. A number of other young swimmers from Quebec are on the team’s roster this year.

The Team Canada swimmers are Janelle Ball, 24 (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC); Gabriella Brisson, 23 (Calgary, AB); Andrée-Anne Côté, 19 (St-Georges, QC); Claudia Holzner, 23 (Calgary, AB); Marie-Lou Morin, 26 (Westmount, QC); Samantha Nealon, 23 (Morriston, ON); Elizabeth Savard, 21 (Laval, QC); Jacqueline Simoneau, 20 (Montréal, QC); Laurence Vézina, 20 (L’Ancienne-Lorette, QC); and Kali Wong, 20 (Calgary, AB). Gabrielle Boisvert, 23 (Cap Rouge, QC) and Gwendolyn McGuire, 19 (Sherwood Park, AB) are the alternates.

Because of the time change, the first of the events will be streamed in the wee hours of Sunday morning, with the final Team Canada showing expected to begin around 7 p.m. local time— or 1 p.m. for the sports fans at home.