British Synchro is 'up and coming' says manager Thorpe

Great Britain will concentrate on the Duets event for Tokyo qualification

British synchronised swimming is gaining respect at international level, says GB & England manager Karen Thorpe.

Thorpe, in Tokyo for the fourth leg of the Artistic Swimming Series, told BBC Sport that the top nations are aware of GB's presence in the sport.

"I've definitely seen a shift in the last few years, people starting to take us a lot more seriously," she said.

The GB squad, including duet Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe, recently won a silver medal in Paris in the series.

The pair, who are competing in Tokyo, are the only elite squad absentees from this weekend's National Championships in Nottingham.

"Paris was a very good result and we need to keep that momentum going," said Thorpe. "We've still got a lot of work to do because others might think 'blimey - look how well GB did, we need to step our game up'."

"We've done some work behind the scenes with an Italian coach. We've also worked with a French coach and a Spanish coach," said Thorpe. "So we're starting to build good relationships so people can see a] that we're working hard, b) that we've got a structure and a pathway and c) that we've good athletes coming through."

GB have prioritised the duets category for Olympic qualification for Tokyo and have three main opportunities to take one of the 22 berths on offer.

"The next one in St Petersburg a couple of weeks after this event," said Thorpe. "Then the next opportunity will be at the World Championships [in China] where they only take the top three outside the continental places before the last events in April 2020."

Although her priority will be the events in Tokyo, Thorpe will also keep an eye on the Nationals, which are being shown on the BBC Sport website on Sunday.

Membership of British Synchronised Swimming has almost doubled in the last two years as the sporting landscape has changed.

"Many young participants are looking for an activity that is different from mainstream sports," said National Development Officer Sarah Darragh. "With synchro being a multifaceted sport, relying on swimming, gymnastics and dance elements, the training is often varied and challenging."

Thorpe will review the event on video with a view to inviting swimmers to GB trials.

"What we want is really good team athletes - that means someone who is really good at working with other people," she stresses.

"The individual event isn't featured in the Olympic games. We don't want somebody who is just out for themselves. We haven't got time or room for that."