Sydney, 26 September 2000, Games of the XXVII Olympiad. Synchronized swimming: Olga BRUSNIKINA (L) and Maria KISSELEVA from Russia wave to the audience after receiving their gold medals for the duet competition. Credit: Getty Images/Ross Kinnaird

Other names: KISELEVA, Maria

Born: 28 September 1974

Birthplace: Samara (Russia)

Nationality: Russia

Sport: Aquatics

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Atlanta 1996

Sydney 2000

Athens 2004

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 3

Three Synchronized Swimming Gold Medals

When team synchronized swimming was first included in the Olympics in 1996, Maria Kisseleva was a member of the Russian team that placed fourth. Paired with Olga Brusnikina, she competed in the duet event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and the two won a clear victory. Three days later, Kisseleva added a second gold medal in the team event.

The Russians performed their free routine to Modest Mussorgsky's "Night on the Bare Mountain." Kisseleva returned to the Olympics in 2004 in the team event. Seventeen seconds into their free routine, the Russians were startled when their music stopped playing. Undeterred after a five-minute delay, they restarted the routine and performed so well that the judges awarded them across-the-board 10.0s for artistic impression, and they were able to successfully defend their Olympic title.