From July 31 to August 16, the European Aquatics Championships will take place in Paris, featuring high medal expectations for the Russian synchronized swimming team. This comes after a challenging year following the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, where Russia’s performance fell short of its usual standards. The team secured gold only in events involving Alexander Maltsev—two solo competitions and a mixed duet with Maya Gurbanberdieva—while other areas saw no victories despite Russia’s traditional dominance.

In a recent interview at a practice session held at the Ozero Krugloe training base near Moscow, the Russian duet coach shared insights into the team’s preparation and mindset ahead of the European Championships.

With just over a week remaining until the competition, the coach acknowledged ongoing efforts to fine-tune the routines. She noted that while most training runs have been completed, small physiological differences among athletes, such as joint structure and flexibility, present challenges in synchronizing movements perfectly. “When you know a program inside out, you start focusing on minute details like finger positioning, head turns, and facial expressions. Ironically, this can make the routine appear less clean as you notice more small errors,” she said.

The coach emphasized a desire for both duets to deliver their best performances, highlighting the considerable amount of work invested this season. This European Championship will mark the team’s final major event of the season and she expressed the hope of concluding on a strong note before the summer break. A key concern remains avoiding errors that could impact scoring, such as misaligned limb movements.

Regarding past issues with judging, especially evident during the Singapore World Championships, the coach indicated that relations with the judges have improved due to more communication and better understanding of revised rules. However, she stressed that the primary focus should be on the team’s own performance quality, aiming to be unmistakably strong in the judges’ eyes rather than relying on external factors.

One athlete facing a particularly demanding schedule at the upcoming championships is Maya Doroshko, who will compete in four events. While some questioned whether to limit her participation to duets only, the coaching staff decided she is essential to the group routines, citing her strong support skills. Despite the heavy workload, the team hopes Doroshko can maintain her stamina and concentration throughout the competition.

The interview also touched on the working relationship between duet coach Danchenko and the head coach of the national team, Svetlana Romashina. Once a mentor-mentee dynamic, their current collaboration is marked by mutual respect and open dialogue, with Danchenko praising Romashina as a capable and supportive leader who contributes feedback and helps with group training.

Looking ahead, the coaching staff remains ambitious about medal prospects. While Doroshko expressed a desire to win every event she enters, the coach acknowledged the unpredictability of competition but viewed the setbacks in Singapore as a valuable impetus for growth. She noted the team’s collective determination to reclaim their status as unquestioned leaders in synchronized swimming, describing the athletes as highly motivated and eager to solidify their position at the top.

As the European Championships approach, Russian synchronized swimming aims to demonstrate progress and resilience, capitalizing on lessons from the previous season to pursue a successful campaign in Paris.