Synchro duo warms up with cold routine
Burlington's Isabelle Rampling has high hopes for a podium finish
August 18, 2008
Brad Kelly
BEIJING -- The synchronized duo of Isabelle Rampling and Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon brought a little taste of home to the pool with them Monday.
Swimming to a theme built around cold or hypothermia for the synchronized swimming compulsory, the Canadian medal hopefuls were pleased with their initial performance at the National Aquatics Center.
The routine earned a score of 47.417, good enough for 6th place among the 24 teams heading into tomorrow's freestyle.
"It was something that is dramatic and we exploited it to the full extent," Burlington's Rampling said of the performance. "We really wanted people to feel, even though it's warm here in China, they can still get little chills and I think we did a really good job with that."
Boudreau Gagnon concurred.
"We are proud of it because it was the first time we were swimming this program, and we are at the Olympics."
Rampling, who is big into visualization, spent hours leading up to the Summer Games going over and over in her mind how this first routine would unfold. Once she was out of the water, but without the aid of critiquing it on tape, she was pleased.
"It was an amazing experience," said the 23-year-old. "The crowd, the energy, the atmosphere.
"Honestly, it was a great feeling and I don't think there is anything I could have done differently that would make me any happier than I am now."
For the freestyle, the theme will be based on a Dragon in a tribute to China's astrology, which should delight the locals.
"We thought because it's older people in the audience, so we said if we have a team that can connect with them, that will be good," Boudreau Gagnon noted.
Rampling went as far as to guarantee a coveted spot in Wednesday's final, and in fact, expects the duo to be on the medal podium.
"We are aiming for a medal performance," she said confidently. "There is nothing that will keep us from that goal at this point."