Synchronized swimmers hope for hometown success in Brazil

Brazil's synchronised swimmers Luisa Borges (front) and Maria Eduarda Miccuci perform during a training session at the Rio Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 7, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's synchronized swimming team is planning to make waves in August, when Rio de Janeiro becomes the first South American city to host the Olympics.

In a country best known for soccer and volleyball, the eight-member squad hopes that a strong performance can help raise the profile of synchronized swimming and get more Brazilians interested in a sport that many see as merely a lighthearted dance in the water.

"It is one of the toughest sports there is," said team member Maria Eduarda Miccuci.

Monday through Saturday, the 21-year-old Rio de Janeiro resident and her teammates undergo weight, stretching and cardiovascular regimens, on top of swimming and choreography, for eight hours a day.