Synchronised swimming - Russia overcome pool problems to take title

GLASGOW (Reuters) - Russia's familiar domination of the synchronised swimming programme at the European Championships continued on Saturday as they won their third successive title in two days of competition, despite problems with the pool water.

(Reuters)

The Russian team landed the team free title, with gold medals awarded to a nine-strong outfit -- Anastasia Arkhipovskaia, Anastasia Bayandina, Daria Bayandina, Marina Goliadkina, Veronika Kalinina, Polina Komar, Maria Shurochkina, Darina Valitova and Mikhaela Kalancha.

Yet it was not all plain sailing for a weary team that also suffered from problems with the pool conditions at the Scotstoun Sports Campus.

"All year we have worked so much and I feel exhausted," said Shurochkina after her team's athletic routine.

"Maybe because this is the end of the year and we have vacation coming closer and closer, our energy level dips.

On the conditions in the pool, she said: "Do you see me? I have these red eyes. The conditions are awful because of the chlorine."

Her team mate Komar added: "It was too much chlorine. Much more than yesterday. I could not see the team, all I could see was white."

Despite these concerns, the Russian team still won convincingly, their routine gaining them 97.0333 points, well clear of second-placed Ukraine on 94.6000 and Italy on 92.2333.

(Reporting by Ian Chadband; Editing by Clare Fallon)