Jones and Nott Float on Top of Competition
Olympic Games Berth On Line

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The Synchronized Swimming portion of the 2007 Pan American Games got underway today at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park. For the first time in the history of the sport, the Pan American Games will serve as the Olympic Qualifier. Each participating country will be in search of a gold medal in order to solidify a trip to Beijing.

Today’s action featured the duet tech competition. Scores from the tech routines will be combined with Friday’s free routine scores to determine medalists. Team USA’s Christina Jones (Fremont, Calif.) and Andrea Nott (San Jose, Calif.) will enter the free routine in the top position after posting a score of 94.500. Canada followed with a 94.333 and host country Brazil was in the third place position with a 90.167.

The United States has earned every Pan Am duet title since 1955 with the exception of 1979 and 1999 in which Canada took home the crown.

The Synchronized Swimming competition will include both the team and duet events and will run through July 28. The competition schedule is as follows:
July 26 Tech Team
July 27 Free Duet/Medal Ceremony
July 28 Free Team/Medal Ceremony

Members of the 2007 United States Pan American Synchronized Swimming Team are as follows:
Brooke Abel (Fallbrook, Calif.), Janet Culp (Littleton, Colo.), Kate Hooven (Pleasanton, Calif.), Christina Jones (Fremont, Calif.), Becky Kim (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Meghan Kinney, (Mission Viejo, Calif.) Andrea Nott (San Jose, Calif.), Annabelle Orme (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Jillian Penner (Seattle, Wash.) and Kim Probst (Troy, N.Y.).