It’s the epitome of sheer joy as the duet skillfully splashes in the water in sync with each other and in tune with the music.
For two minutes and 30 seconds during their routine, adrenaline is rushing through the partners’ bodies and all their diligence and dedication during training comes to fruition with a successful performance.
Ultra-triumphant in the case of two locals.
Last month, artistic swimmers Isabella Lin from Mercer Island and Siran Cao from Bellevue teamed up as USA representatives to notch first place in the 12U duet category at the Pan American Aquatics Championships in Lima, Peru.
Lin, 12, a seventh-grader at Islander Middle School, said it felt like their routine started and finished quickly. Soon, the Seattle Synchro swimmers were champions.
“It was very shocking. I didn’t process it at the moment, so my face was kind of just like, ‘Cool, I finished.’ But I think overall it was a pretty exciting thing because it’s our first international meet,” she said.
Added Cao, a 12-year-old seventh-grader at Tyee Middle School: “Some key components were like, we were really synchronized, and that kind of added up to our score. And we were really hard working.”
Cao said that she’s feels happy walking up to the stage to begin their routine to the anime mash-up song “Setsuna,” and she’s even more ecstatic to garner first place. She joked that they were so exhausted from their performance that Lin couldn’t smile at first. Lin definitely did so later, Cao added.
The locals — who have been partners for one year — beat out second-place Canada by nearly 20 points during the eight-country competition. Lin said they have developed a solid rapport with each other in and out of the pool.
Lin has been involved with synchro for six years and Cao stepped on board with the sport four years ago.
Seattle Synchro head coach Daniela Garmendia praised Lin for her intelligence, focus and competitive drive, and commended Cao for her discipline, hard work, positivity and resilience. Both girls display kindness, the coach added.
Cao’s mom pointed her toward synchro, she’s gradually built up her skills over the years and she’s having fun with the sport. Lin has followed in her sister’s footsteps with synchro and enjoys the creativity in melding together swimming, gymnastics and acrobatics within the fun atmosphere.
Away from the competition in Lima, the girls visited a market and chocolate museum, and interacted with the other swimmers while trading their country-themed pins, magnets, flags and teddy bears. Lin made bracelets and keychains to add into the trading mix.
On the home front, Cao has earned first-place medals in competitive swimming and the Reflections Art Competition, and Lin enjoys reading, cooking, plant photography and more and was a peer mediator in fifth grade.
From left, Siran Cao and Isabella Lin pose on the pool deck at the Pan American Aquatics Championships in Lima, Peru, last month. Photo courtesy of Daniela Garmendia
