Mixed Duets deliver statement swims on second day of competition in Somabay

“We keep hope,” he told World Aquatics. “Today we fought hard and we’re so proud of another victory.”

After high-speed winds made for a somewhat challenging environment for competitors at times on the opening day of competition, the field welcomed the calmer conditions 24 hours on.

In addition to the impressive Spanish duet, the middle day in Somabay also saw successes for Spain in the Open Team Technical event, while Anastasiia Sidorina and Veronika Sokolova were victorious in the Women’s Duet Free.

Mixed Duet Technical – Spain Delivers Statement Win

11 pairs lined-up in what was one of the strongest fields ever assembled, perhaps sending out a message at the end of the week where they learned the disappointing news that they would not have the chance to contest the event at the next Olympic Games.

The discipline, which debuted at the World Championships in 2015, has developed each season over the last decade and many felt LA2028 represented their best chance of inclusion to date.

Despite the news, the athletes, which included line-ups from nine different nations from across Asia, Europe and South America, delivered a series of highly entertaining routines.

China’s Sitong Guo and Haoyue Shi threw down an early marker, by setting the standard with a combined score of 207.3858 for their powerful performance.

Italy’s new pairing of Gabriele Minak and Sarah Rizea were their closest competitors for much of the final, with their ‘heartbeat’ themed routine scoring a strong overall total of 186.5899.

They would ultimately finish with bronze, which was just the second World Cup honour of Miank’s career, with his first, which was gold, having come in the Men’s Solo Free event at the Montpellier leg in France, back in 2023.

Pushing the Italians and indeed also the Chinese team down the standings were the sublime Spanish duo of Gonzalez and Hernandez.

Gonazalez had been paired with Sara Saldana for the World Cup in Paris, but now reunited their delivered their traditional dominant display to their ‘Hip Hop – let’s go’ routine.

207.3858 points gave them a clear victory, by a margin of 11.1950, from China.

Gonzalez, who became the first man to appear as part of a Spanish artistic swimming team during their World Cup win on day one in Somabay, admits the decision not to include Mixed Duet at Los Angeles 2028 was “not good news” but is trying to remain positive.

“We have tried, but I keep hope because in the last four years ahead of Paris 2024 men inside the team was confirmed and that was in 2022, so I think we have time and it’s not the end.

“We are happy to have the opportunity in the team and we will fight to stay in these events.”

Jordi Caceres Iglesias and Aurora Lazaro Cabaleiro, who won silver at the Paris World Cup last month, where unable to repeat their podium success, finishing fourth, with Britain’s European champion Ranjuo Tomblin and new partner Loya Cenkci also missing out.

Italy’s Rizea was unsurprisingly delighted with her success alongside Minak.

“We are very happy because it’s an unexpected medal and we didn’t think about that,” she admitted, before adding that she hoped to see the event included at future Olympics.

“I think if the artistic swimming includes the Mixed Duet it will bring new vibes (to the sport) and people will be able to see during competition, it’s not only girls, but also girls and men.”

Miank added; “The community of men we pray for the presence at the Olympics in LA 2028, but this life.”

Open Team Technical – Spain Continues To Reign

13 collections of athletes lined-up for the second Team contest of the Somabay World Cup with Olympic medallists Spain, the highly fancied Japanese and emerging Canadian squads all among those looking to push for the podium.

Also featuring were two largely unknown quantities who formed ‘Neutral Athletes A’ (NAA) and ‘Neutral Athletes B’ (NAB) collectives, who featured a host of athletes making their World Cup debuts in Egypt.

Those within NAA had only been training together for four months, but delivered an early sign that they will likely be ‘ones-to-watch’ in the coming months, with a combined score of 244.1151 for artistic impressive and execution.

They would be outscored by a largely younger line-up in NAB who attained 266.4899, which would ensure they attained a top-three finish.

Japan’s ‘basketball’ themed routine demonstrated a dazzling combination of outstanding technical execution together with passion and power.

Their combined score of 260.5267 showed a slight improvement on their total from the Paris World Cup last month and ensured they would claim a medal. It would not be gold though.

The last team to take to the pool was Spain, who won the Tech event at the first World Cup of the season and had taken gold in the Free final on day one.

Their highly popular routine to the Backstreet Boys’ track ‘Everybody’ again delighted the crowds and once more also impressed the assembled judges who awarded them 276.2168, which was over 2.5 points more than they achieved in Paris.

“We are super happy,” Paula Ramirez told World Aquatics after their latest success.

“This means that we’re doing a great job, and we’re a super great team, so I’m tremendously happy and now we want to come back tomorrow and go for the (gold) again.”

Japan’s bronze medallist Tomoka Sato continued; “Today we have learned many, many tasks that we still have to do on that swim, so afterwards we will go back home to Japan and we’ll work hard.”

Women’s Duet Free - Duet debutants Sidorina and Sokolova succeed in Somabay

The opening action of the second day in Somabay saw 23 pairs battle it out in the Women’s Duet Free competition.

With the 2025 World Aquatics Championships being held in Singapore there is greater attention and perhaps also pressure, on athletes from the host nation, but they are keen to rise to the occasion.

Following an encouraging performance by Yvette Anna Chong and Debbie Soh in the Duet Technical event on Friday, they demonstrated further evidence that the Singapore athletes will be doing more than making up the numbers at their home championships.

They attained a combined score of 184.8755 for their ‘Journey of a Violinist’ themed routine.

The standout performers during a high-class contest though were Anastasiia Sidorina and Veronika Sokolova, who delivered a dazzling display in their World Cup debut as a pair.

Performing to a combination of ‘Piston Pulse’ and ‘No Longer There’ tracks from Atom music, to the theme of ‘two elements of one mechanism’ they were a class apart and attained a combined score of 256.0388 points.

Spanish duo Lilou Lluis Valette and Iris Tio Casas, who was competing in her third event in Somabay, looked to be the neutral athlete’s nearest competitors heading into the closing stages.

The Barcelona-based pair, who were part of the Spanish squad which claimed Olympic bronze last summer and won the Team Technical title on the opening day in Egypt, perhaps feared the worst after being forced to wait for quite some time before scores were revealed.

However, their total of 236.0830 to their ‘the essence of femininity’ routine was ultimately enough to ensure a medal.

It would be bronze though after the final pair to take to the water – Japan’s Tomoka Sato and Uta Kobayashi – nudged in between the leaders and Spain.

They won gold in Paris with their ‘Oni’ themed routine, which is based on Japanese folk law around mythical daemons, but despite missing out on another title they will be pleased to have significantly increased their score from the event last month.

248.0671 their reward, having attained 214.9546 in France.

Bronze medallist Tio Casas added; “It was our first swim together as a duo so we don’t have a lot of experience together, but I think we did a really good job and I’m proud.”