Singapore 2025: Austria’s Alexandri sisters back to gold standard as Italy’s Pelati earns first senior world medal
Austria’s triplet sisters Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri returned to the top step of the podium at the World Aquatics Championships as they secured the women’s duet technical title in Singapore.
The 27-year-olds, who won world duet free gold at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, produced a masterly version of the Swan Lake theme – which they first used at the Rio 2016 Games – to earn a winning total of 307.1451.
China’s 22-year-old twins Yanhan and Yanjan Lin took silver on 301.4057, with bronze going to neutral athletes Mayya Doroshko and Tatiana Gayday on 300.2183.
Later in the day there was further medal success for a European artistic swimmer as Italy’s 18-year-old Filippo Pelati earned his first world medal as he took bronze in the men’s solo free competition.
The Alexandri sisters – who along with sibling and solo specialist Vasiliki are now guided by Japan’s former national team coach, Nakajima Tatako – have returned to the highest level of the sport after a disappointing 2024, marking their return by winning the European Aquatics duet technical title in Funchal last month.
After the disappointment of missing a medal by one place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Anna-Maria and Eirini are back in full competitive mode, having won the duet technical event in Funchal.
They had to withdraw from the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha because Anna-Maria’s dislocated shoulder hadn’t fully healed from the summer of 2023.
And at the Paris 2024 Olympics they had the tantalising experience of missing out on a medal by one place.
The Alexandris’ victory was the first by a nation other than Russia, China, or Japan in the 11 editions of women’s duet technical competitions at the World Championships, dating back to 2007.
“We are very happy to be back,” Anna-Marie told World Aquatics.
“I had a shoulder dislocation in the summer of 2023 so I had pain. It hadn’t fully recovered for the World Championships in Doha so we had to withdraw from the World Championships because our big goal was the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“But now we are very happy, because this was the highlight of the year and we finished with a gold medal.”
Commenting on the choice of music, Eirini-Marina said: “We did this music in Rio de Janeiro at the Olympics, but it was not exactly the same; it was another version.
“And now, we decided that we want to swim to Swan Lake again because it’s very classical music and something different in comparison to what everybody swims now, which is more rhythmical and faster.”
The men’s solo free final saw 30-year-old neutral athlete Aleksandr Maltsev, who arrived in Singapore having won four world titles in mixed events, completing a golden double having won the men’s solo technical final on Saturday.
Maltsev scored 229.5613, with silver going to China’s Muye Guo on 220.1926 and Pelati claiming bronze on 213.9850, one place ahead of Britain’s 19-year-old Ranjuo Tomblin, who won European men’s solo free gold last year and took the European men’s solo technical title this year.
“I’m very happy with my performance because I didn’t expect the result,” Pelati said. “I was only enjoying the moment and I only felt the music and the choreography and thought about nothing.
“I’m very proud of myself and happy to win a bronze. It’s very important for me; it’s like a gold medal and I’m very emotional.”
Maltsev added: “We created this routine one month ago for the World Championships and it was very difficult during the training sessions because I did four routines – two mixed duets and two solos. And this routine is one of the most difficult of all.”
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
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