Before last night, the British contribution to artistic swimming was about equal to our influence on Turkish carpet weaving.
So much so that our tights-clad tadpoles have not won a single medal in the 40 years that this often ridiculed top sport has been at the Olympic Games.
That is no longer the case as Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe won a stunning silver medal.
We are talking about the art form that used to be called synchronized swimming, and before that, “water ballet.”
It is said to have originated in Berlin and Canada around the turn of the 20th century, and was later played in English and Scottish variety theatres, where critics would not mind if it stayed.
Team GB have won a historic silver medal in artistic swimming at the Paris Olympic Games
Before last night, Britain’s contribution to artistic swimming was about as great as our influence on Turkish carpet weaving
That is no longer the case as Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe have powered their way to a fantastic silver medal
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Away with the cynics! Because Shortman and Thorpe were rewarded for standing toe to toe with history and a system that had only recently deemed them worthy of lottery funding. They were taking the first steps towards a dream on a shoestring budget.
They were third from the back last night for their free routine.
As they waited for their turn, the first notes they heard may have served as inspiration. The French duo, who kicked off the evening, choreographed their dance routine to Ravel’s Bolero, the choreography with which Torvill and Dean enchanted Sarajevo in 1984, the year that synchronised swimming was included in the Olympic Games.
But the Chinese were favourites for gold in the shadow of the Stade de France and led on Friday evening after the technical error.
Britain was in fourth place, with a twin consisting of the Chinese couple, Austria in second place and the Netherlands in third place.
The Ukrainians, in fifth place, are also twins. Hardly sounds right when your movement in the water is practically umbilical cord.
A brilliant routine by the sequined British girls, to the fitting music of Rising Phoneix, took them straight to first place, with only the Dutch and of course the Chinese to follow them. They had to wait nervously and helplessly for the final action to unfold.
First the Dutch performance and then all eyes on the big screen to see their results. Not good enough to push our high-stepping heroines out of the pool.
Away with you cynics! For Shortman and Thorpe were rewarded for having stood with their toes in the face of history.
A brilliant routine from the sequined British girls, set to the fitting music of Rising Phoneix, took them straight to first place
Artistic swimming may look simple and graceful, but that is the skill
At the moment the Netherlands is in second place, but in the end it is bronze.
And then the Wangs of China – Liuyi and Qianyi. They were dazzling to this untrained eye. The scores shot up. The red brigade had done it – 566.4783 points to 558.537.
Artistic swimming may look simple and graceful, but that’s the art. It’s what equates to more than 40 hours of hard work a week, Monday through Saturday. “We have to laugh so you don’t see the pain,” Thorpe said.
Besides swimming, the training of course consists of yoga, weights and ‘apnea’, which seems to be the answer to 12 down.
The clue is: breathing exercises. By training their lungs, they can hold their breath underwater for two minutes or more.
Shortman and Thorpe’s synchronicity, which resembled that of sterling silver, began at an early age, dating back to primary school in their native Bristol.
They were six and five at the time and have been working together since they were 10. Shortman is now 22 and her ‘sister’ and ‘best friend’ Thorpe is 23. They both keep the same breed of dog: cockapoos.
They had a slight advantage because their mothers – Maria Shortman and Karen Thorpe, who leads the team here – were excellent practitioners.
They qualified as a pair for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but the event was changed to an eight-woman effort. The expanded number failed to qualify.
So, this was a rich day of closure for their respective families, regardless of the outcome. Neither parent believed it would end this way.
“But it is,” said Mrs. Thorpe, Izzy’s mother, “and now Kate is like an extra daughter to me.”
They were helped along the way by two major factors. A rule change two years ago that made scoring more objective, overcoming perceived favoritism towards the established nations, and the introduction of their Japanese coach Yumiko Tomomatsu on May 22.
Shortman and Thorpe’s polished synchronicity, which resembled that of sterling silver, was developed at an early age
And then the Wangs of China – Liuyi and Qianyi. They were dazzling to this uneducated eye
Only second for the Netherlands after their last performance, eventually bronze
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When she is in Britain, they stay behind for a video assessment, perfecting every move.
Shortman and Thorpe finished 14th in Tokyo three years ago and considered giving up. But they persevered at their local pool in Bristol, sharing the water with amateur aqua yoga enthusiasts and armband swimmers.
Their reward is entirely homemade in Britain.