(Beijing, 17 April) - Team coach Julie Sauve (CAN) is confident the Canadian synchronised swimming team will succeed with two new routines at the Olympic Games Synchronised Swimming Qualification Tournament 2008 at the National Aquatics Center.
 
"Just wait and see our new routines and look at how much we have improved," said Sauve, after the duet technical routine of Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon (CAN) and Isabelle Rampling (CAN) on Wednesday.
 
Canada has a strong history in the sport of synchronised swimming, particularly in the team event, but has struggled to match the performances of reigning Olympic and World champions Russia in recent years.
 
Canada has won two Olympic medals in the team event, a silver and bronze, but missed a medal at the last Olympic Games for the first time since the event was introduced at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
 
Again last year, at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, the team finished outside the medals in both the team free and technical finals, unable to match the precision and dynamics of Russia, Spain, Japan and the United States.
 
"Since the Melbourne championships we have had an injection of new swimmers and new routines," said Julie Sauve, who has worked hard with sister and fellow coach Denise Sauve (CAN) to create two new routines for the team.
 
Julie Sauve has created a men's fashion show inspired technical routine, which will feature camera sound effects in the music and choreograhy based around male movements.
 
Meanwhile Denise Sauve, who has worked as a choreographer with Cirque Du Soleil in the past, has devised a Chinese astrology themed free routine using patterns based on animals such as the snake, tiger, monkey and dragon.
 
Canada has used many sources of inspiration for past routines, such as its Olympic sport themed free routine at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
 
"That [Olympic sport themed] routine was a great concept and had a great result," said Julie Sauve, who is hoping for similar success with these new routines.
 
Canada is yet to qualify a team for the 2008 Olympic Games and is aiming for a top three finish here to guarantee its involvement in the team event in August. Team qualifiers are also eligible to enter a duet in the Olympic competition.
 
The Canadian Team, which includes experienced synchronettes Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon and Isabelle Rampling, will perform its team technical routine on Thursday, 17 April from 15:00 at the National Aquatics Center.
 
The second routine, the team free, will be performed on Saturday, 19 April when the final medals of the tournament will be decided.