Russia's Ishchenko dazzles to win gold

Russia's Natalia Ishchenko easily retained her technical solo synchronised swimming title at the world championships yesterday. The judges rolled off a string of 9.9s after her sombre but controlled display and she splashed to the top of the standings...

Russia's Natalia Ishchenko easily retained her technical solo synchronised swimming title at the world championships yesterday.

The judges rolled off a string of 9.9s after her sombre but controlled display and she splashed to the top of the standings with an overall score of 98.667.

The music was rather more classical than the Bruce Springsteen concert which took place next door the previous evening but the girls more than matched the veteran rocker's famed dexterity.

With no performance-enhancing bodysuits in sight, the girls glided through the water in their colourful costumes with Spain's Gemma Mengual finishing second and Canada's Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon taking bronze.

The electronic scoring system broke down towards the end, causing confusion for competitors and fans already flustered by the intense Rome heat.

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