By CASEY OLSON
Sports editor

The United Airlines Open synchronized swimming meet kicked off Tuesday at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center with some of the best competition in the world.
“The crowds have been pretty good,” said Amy McClintock, media director for Synchro Swimming USA. “We had about 400 people at our junior team competition (Wednesday) night. We are expecting more for the finals.”

The meet continues today with the marquee events in synchronized swimming. The combo routine final will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with the senior trio, duet, solo and team finals taking the stage from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The combo event features four different disciplines — solo, duet, trio and team — in one seven-minute routine.
“We are looking forward to having the combo routine competition,” said Nancy Campi, local co-meet manager. “This will be the first viewing of this competition in this area.”

During the first two days of competition on Tuesday and Wednesday, international swimmers dominated. In preliminary action, swimmers from China are leading three events entering tonight’s finals — senior duet, junior figures and senior team competition. Canadian swimmers are winning the junior duet and junior team categories and United States swimmers sit in first place in the senior trio event.

“The international teams have been really good,” McClintock said. “But I think our girls will be up there in the end.”

Several swimmers from the Seattle Synchro Club are sitting in the top-12 entering the finals. Sally Winchester and Lacey Brooten are ninth in senior duet competition, Sachi Maekawa and Sophie Wilhoit rank sixth in junior duet and Karen Engle and Jenna Swalin are 10th. The Seattle Synchro senior team is in fifth place and the junior team is 10th.

“Federal Way has been great, but they have done events in the past,” McClintock said. “Things have been running very smooth.”