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Top McKinney Sports Stories 2012 - (No. 9) London Calling: Killman keeps Collin County in sync with Olympic Games
By Andrew Snyder, asnyder@starlocalnews.com
(Editor's Note: Synchronized swimmer and McKinney hometown resident Mary Killman advanced to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The original article appeared on Aug. 2.)
Collin County residents can add civic pride to the usual mix of patriotism while watching the 2012 London Olympic Games as they will be represented by synchronized swimmer Mary Killman, who competes on the U.S. duet team with Mariya Koroleva.
"It's a great feeling to reach something I've worked for practically my whole life," Killman said. "I know a few people who have gone to the Olympics and they try to explain what it feels like, but there are only so many words."
"I thought, how much further can we go if we can do this in two months," Killman said.
Killman, who lists McKinney as her hometown, and Koroleva were named to the U.S. Olympic Selection Team in November 2011. After being named as the U.S. National duet team, they went on to finish seventh in the qualification tournament in April to advance to London. Continuing on that pace, they won gold at the Swiss Open in July, their final international competition before the Olympics.
Killman, who currently lives in Indianapolis, was named Athlete of the Year in 2010 and 2011 by U.S. Synchronized Swimming, the national governing body for the sport.
She has competed in synchronized swimming for 10 years and during that time has been named to the U.S. National and Junior National team seven times. At 21 years old, she is the youngest member of the current national team.
At the Olympics, the synchronized swimming duet competition, a women's only event, begins with a preliminary round where the 24 national teams that qualified perform a technical and free routine. On the basis of those performances, 12 teams advance to the finals, where they will perform their free routine again. The final rankings are determined by combining scores in the finals with those given for the prelim technical routines.
During the technical routine, duets must perform nine required elements within a 2:20 time limit to the music of their choice. Swimmers are given more leeway during the free routine, where they can combine music and movements of their choice for 3:30.
The event begins with the qualification technical routine and continues with free routines before closing with the free routine finals.
All rounds are held at the 17,500-seat London Aquatics Centre.
Since the sport's introduction at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the U.S. has won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze in duet synchronized swimming.
The event was not included in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
"I'm starting to get the butterflies and am really excited for everything," Killman said upon arrival in London. "This is what I've been working for, for so long. I'm getting so much support, it's amazing. I'm ready to start this."
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