Saratoga News

Photograph by Louise Webb

Gold medal-winning Olympic synchronized swimmers (from left, top) Natalie Schneyder, Margot Thien, Heather Pease, Emily Porter-LeSuer, Suzannah Bianco, Coach Chris Carver, Coach Gail Emery and Manager Laura LaCursia; (from left, bottom) Becky Dyroen-Lancer, Jill Savery, Jill Sudduth, Heather Simmons-Carrasco and Tammy Cleland.

Saratoga coach and swimmers bring home gold from Atlanta

By Louise Webb

Congratulations to Saratoga coach Chris Carver and the 10 members of her U.S. synchronized swimming team who brought home gold medals from the Olympic Games.

Carver's husband, Ron, shared her victory at the Olympics. Carver has two older sons Jeff, 34, and Scott, 25, who stayed home. Chris called home after winning the short program and asked how their cat, Church (short for Churchill), was doing. (She's very attached to the cat, which she found a few years ago in the bushes at the Santa Clara International Swim Center.)

After the long program, the boys didn't hear the results from their mom, and they couldn't stand the suspense. Scott finally found out the exciting news on the Internet before the results were announced in the delayed television broadcast.

Chris is much more than a coach to her swimmers. She's worked with some of the swimmers since they were youngsters. It paid off when the team had a near perfect performance and won the sport's first Olympic team gold medals.

Carver believes the team of 10 (nine from the Bay Area) won based on the superiority of the program, including high-risk elements, and the advantage of the group being together so long. She's pleased her team was able to stand up and be noticed and given the respect they deserve.

Four of the women are Aquamaids from the Santa Clara International Swim Club, and five members are from the Walnut Creek Aquanauts. The tenth, from Arizona Swim Club, lived in Santa Clara this past year. For nine months, Carver went back and forth between Santa Clara and Walnut Creek to coach with Walnut Creek's coach, Gail Emery, a former Aquamaid.

A Saratoga resident on the team is Suzannah Bianco, who attended West Valley College. It was a family affair for the Biancos. Her husband, Brad, a member of a cyclist club, rode his bike all the way to Atlanta to join her. Suzannah's mother, Paula Dyroen, made the beautiful sequin costumes for the women. Suzannah's sister, Becky Dyroen-Lancer, a team member, is the reigning world single and duet champion. She received a call from President Clinton complimenting and congratulating the team and inviting them to the White House. Another woman in the group is Heather Simmons-Carrasco, who attended West Valley College.

Chris Carver was relieved when it was over. She had been putting in 10- to 12-hour days choreographing the performance and helping the superstar swimmers prepare.

I first met Carver in l994 at the Santa Clara International Swim Center, when I was interviewing Esther Williams, who was giving the Esther Willams trophy to a "solo" synchronized swimmer. Willams told me then how impressed she was with Carver, whose Aquamaids had won synchronized international and national events. The feeling was mutual. Williams had been Carver's idol since she took synchronized swimming at the age of 12 and decided her combined music background and the sport were ideal.

Another fan of Chris's is Wil Luick of San Jose often referred to as "the father of the Santa Clara Aquamaids Synchronized Swim Club." He has known and watched Chris coach since l975 and says she is the best coach in the world.

Although the present team will not continue (seven are getting married), Wil says, "Don't count the United States out for the gold in synchronized swimming in the future. There are a lot of great Aquamaids in the wings at the Santa Clara International Swim Center."

Chris called home before the closing ceremonies on the car phone and again asked about the cat. She will be staying home for a while and will have time to play with Church, and to let her incredible winning team victory sink in.

"It was a complete thrill not only to be part of such a historical event, but also to see a year of hard work finished so dramatically and fantastically," she says.

There will be an Olympic celebration with a synchronized swimming exhibition with the l996 Olympic team performing plus Aquamaid champions Sept. 27, 28 and 29 at the Santa Clara International Swim Center and a barbecue dinner each evening at 6 p.m. at Central Park. General admission is $15, $10 children under 13. Call 243-9311 or 510/656-5535.