Isabelle Rampling
doesn't want to make history. The Burlington
native would be quite happy to do the same thing
as every other Canadian synchronized swimmer has
done at the Commonwealth Games.
The 20 year old will be competing this
weekend in the duet with partner Marie-Pier
Boudreau-Gagnon at the Commonwealth Games in
Melbourne, Australia. They will be looking to
extend a run that has seen Canada win all 10
gold medals awarded in synchro since it was
added to the Commonwealth Games roster in 1986.
Despite being paired up with Boudreau-Gagnon,
a seven-year veteran of the national team, less
than five months ago, the 20-year-old is
confident about continuing Canada's winning
ways.
"The pressure is on but we're expecting
amazing results," she said from Melbourne Friday
morning.
It will be just the second international
competition for the duet. But even having one
international event under their belt after such
a short time together is rare.
Rampling, who got her start in synchronized
swimming at the Burlington YMCA 10 years ago,
helped Canada finish fifth at last year's World
Aquatic Championships. However, she had not
competed in duet for two years before joining up
with Boudreau-Gagnon for this season.
The two were both members of the Montreal
Synchro Club, where Rampling has trained for the
last five years. Coaches Julie and Denise Sauve
felt the two would make a good pair because of
their physical similarities and Rampling
welcomed the challenge competing in duet
offered.
"There's a lot more precision involved," said
Rampling, a member of the national team for four
years. "Every single detail is spotted by the
judges. You can't hide behind a teammate."
And it is that precision as well as the
height the pair gets in the water that Rampling
believes gives them the edge in the competition,
particularly in the technical program.
They were scheduled to perform their
technical program Saturday and their free
program Sunday. The technical program is a
two-minute, 20 second program that requires
competitors to perform specific elements. The
free program is a three-and-a-half minute
program where "anything goes," Rampling said.
"It's performing more and playing with the
crowd."
Rampling said duos from Australia, New
Zealand and England will provide the competition
for the gold.
