Swiss team's exhibition goes like clockwork

The Swiss junior synchronized swimming team has been practicing in Largo for a Tallahassee competition.

By JULIANNE WU

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2000

LARGO -- On Thursday, 13 Swiss misses made synchronized swimming look easier than a stroll in the Alps.

The members of the Swiss Junior National Synchronized Swimming Team, ages 14-17, gave a free exhibition for about 200 people at the Southwest Recreation Complex's pool in Largo. The audience included day campers from Largo Recreation and Parks Department programs and about 20 members of the Suncoast Waterworks Synchronized Swim Team, which regularly uses the Largo pool for its practices.

[Times photo: Jim Damaske] Katrin Eggenberger, bottom, and Magdalena Bunner perform Thursday.

For the past week, the Swiss team and its coaches, Katia Immer, 26, and Ariane Pochon, 24, have been using the pool. They are practicing for the American Cup international competition next week in Tallahassee.

"This will be the first important international experience for them," said Immer, who swam on Switzerland's National Junior and Senior teams.

The Swiss swim team was formed in December, Immer said. The girls, who are from swim clubs from throughout Switzerland, are multilingual. Most of them speak French, German or Italian as well as English.

In addition to passing the tests and being able to keep up with the rigors and discipline of synchronized swimming, each girl must pay about 1,500 Swiss francs -- approximately $1,000 -- per season to be on the team. The Swiss National Team Federation is paying for their travel expenses, their hotel stay on Clearwater Beach, all fees and their competition and hotel expenses in Tallahassee.

The Swiss team will compete with teams from the United States, Great Britain, several Latin American countries, Mexico and Japan.

"We have never won anything, but what is more important is to build our team for the future," Immer said. "We have a goal to one day go to the Junior World Championships."

At Thursday's exhibition, the short program began with a solo by Magdalena Brunner, 17, and then a duet by her and Katrin Eggenberger, 17.

Solos and duets always are a part of the synchronized-swimming competition, Immer said. They are followed by a team routine, done by no more than eight girls.

Brunner is one of the newest members of the team, having joined three days ago. She had been in a European competition where she made it to the finals.

"But I know many of these girls from before," Brunner said.

When it was the team's turn to show their stuff, the precision kicks and graceful ballet-like moves prompted "oohs" and "aahs" from the audience.

A lighter moment came when the Swiss team invited several Largo camp counselors and lifeguards into the pool to learn some synchronized moves.

When they are not practicing five to seven hours a day, the Swiss team is enjoying the Florida sunshine by going to the beach, shopping, seeing the attractions and sampling American food.

"I like pizza the best," Brunner said.

Immer said she thinks the experience is a rewarding one for the girls. "To go to another country is a good way to build team spirit. And here we can train so intensely."

One thing the Swiss team brought is plenty of sunscreen.

"We're not used to the sun being so hot for so long," Immer said.

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