This is a sport hybrid of swimming, gymnastics and dancing, and right now, Russians seem to be the best.

Russian synchronized swimmers have been the biggest winners in the past two Games, and they set to continue their dominance in Beijing.

Synchronized swimming is a judged sport and scores are given on technical and artistic impression. It has two event categories -- duet and team routines at the Olympics. The sport was added to the Olympics in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Japanese team compete during the technical routine of team event in the "Good Luck Beijing" Olympic Games Synchronized Swimming Qualification Tournament 2008 at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, capital of China, on April 17, 2008.

Despite fancy costumes, hair gels and fixed smiles, the synchronized swimming is a strenuous sport that requires endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing.

As a reminder of the Russian's prowess at the sport, Athens duet champions Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova overwhelmed the audience with an extraordinarily synchronous and impressive performance to the music of Don Quixote. They were given eight full marks by the judges and their total score was a near-perfect 99.334 points.

Before Russia's dominance, the United States was the biggest winner in the first three Olympics since the sport was introduced. The U.S. team's tally of Olympic golds in the sport was five, one more than the Russians.

But the U.S. swimmers have struggled to keep medals in their hands with increasing competition from contenders like Japan.

Japan has never won an Olympic gold in syncrho swimming, but it has been in steady hands and was never out of the top three. In preparation for the Beijing Games, the country has replaced its swimmers with taller ones to catch the trend.

"We need to raise our level, by increasing the average height of the team and by improving their techniques. We want our performance to be more beautiful and impressive," said Yuriko Tsuruhisa, one of the coaches in an April Olympic qualifying tournament in Beijing.

At the tournament, the Japanese duo was beaten by Chinese twins Jiang Wenwen and Jiang Tingting, who have been rising in international rankings since 2006.

In 2006, China dethroned longtime Asian champion Japan in the Doha Asian Games in both duet and team competitions. Ahead of the Beijing Games, medal expectations have been anted up for the host nation.

The list of medal hunters in the sport would not be complete without the accomplished and powerful Spain.

Spaniards Andrea Fuentes/Gemma Mengual scored 97.663 points to win the duet event of the "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Olympic Games Synchronized Swimming Qualification Tournament at the National Aquatics Center April 18.

The country was the winner of the 2007 World Championship duet and the gold winners in both duet and team at the April tournament in the absence of Russia.

"Right now we are trying to bridge the gap between us and the Russian couple. In the upcoming Olympics, we are trying to bring out our best and aim for the top", said Gemma Mengual, a famed Spanish swimmer.

(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2008)