The Russian national synchronized swimming team won over the figure skaters in the At-Home Super League online burpee tournament with a score of 115:109. The Roscongress Foundation and Telesport Media with the support of the Odnoklassniki social network organized the tournament.
Both teams had four athletes. Synchronists took off immediately with 28 burpees by the Olympic champion Maria Shurochkina. It was not until the third round when the silver medallist of the 2019 World Cup, the 2020 European ice dance champion Victoria Sinitsina, having pulled off 30 burpees almost closed the score gap — 80:79. In the final round, the 2020 European champion Sofia Samodurova delivered 30 points for the skaters’ team, but the two-time Olympic champion Alla Shishkina completed 35 burpees, securing the victory of the synchronists’ team.
«Part of me knew that we are all winners. I personally know many skaters. We are good friends. But another part, the athlete in me nudged to try harder. After all, Russian synchronized swimmers are the best in the world since 1998 and we always perform to the maximum result. I barely ever do burpees although it is an awesome cross-training exercise. I enjoyed the tournament with great rivals. As for my team, I will see them very soon at the Round Lake Sports Centre and we’ll practise and perfect our burpees,» Alla Shishkina smiled.
Five-time world synchronized swimming champions Polina Komar and Veronika Kalinina did 27 and 25 burpees respectively. The 2020 European champion in pair skating Aleksandra Boikova and the 2019 junior world champion in pair skating Anastasia Mishina did twenty-five burpees each.
«The girls are in good shape and good spirits. The first synchronized swimmers training camp after the quarantine starts on 7 June at the Round Lake Sports Centre. The burpee tournament will help emotionally charge the return to the training process. The Roscongress Foundation and Telesport Media have come up with a solid online format. Some teams have been training in the water for some time now, but I’m sure that the girls will quickly close this head start gap. Of course, we will implement all safety precautions at the training camp. I myself recovered from the coronavirus, and I want to thank all the doctors and medical workers who were and continue to be at the forefront,» said Alexey Vlasenko, President of the Russian Synchronised Swimming Federation.
Broadcast of the tournament between skaters and synchronized swimmers has been viewed more than 650 thousand times on social networks. The At-Home Super League was the hosting debut for the four-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics Aleksandra Soldatova. The Russian national football team doctor Eduard Bezuglov and the head coach of the Welps Fitness App Roman Kiselkov evaluated the quality of the burpee performance.
