Double Dutch in the Olympic Pool

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Talk about being in synch. Dutch synchronized swimmers Sonja and Bianca van der Velden were even born, via caesarean section, at exactly the same moment 28 years ago in the Dutch city of Nijmegen. In the water at age 3, they started off as speed swimmers. But after trying synchronized swimming they began competing — and winning — at the national level. Bianca defends their choice of this obscure, often ridiculed sport. "It's more than just ballet in the water," she says, noting that speed, power and grace are also required. "People think it's only a smile on the face, but it's all about story and feeling."

The Van der Velden sisters aren't the only identical twins competing in Athens — the U.S.'s tennis team has its own true doubles — but that hardly explains their anonymity in the Netherlands. Their sport comes in several lengths behind speed swimming there: Dutch coaches are unpaid and training facilities woefully inadequate, say the sisters. After failing to qualify for two successive Olympics, they headed for Santa Clara, California, three years ago where they met up with American coach Nathalie Schneyder Bartleson, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist. The move paid off. This year, their last chance to qualify, they finally made the cut. "There's no way we could have done it in the Netherlands," says Bianca.

Does being identical twins have anything to do with their success in a sport that demands such precisely choreographed movements? "It's a nice view for the judges and the audience," says Sonja. But what really helps is that they're sisters — and friends. "We know what to expect from each other," says Bianca. "We get along. If not, we never would have done it for so long."