A decade of training and working together helped the girls achieve remarkable synchronization, which helped them to gain international recognition.

Before the Athens Games, the two faced domestic competition from Sydney Olympic champions Olga Brusnikina and Maria Kiseleva, and the younger two stood out. Brusnikina and Kiseleva also swam for Russia in Athens, but in the team event and not as a duet.

"The most difficult part of this tournament was not to beat the Japanese, but trying to decide which pair would represent Russia this time -- Kisseleva and Brusnikina or us," said Ermakova.

The Anastasias' performance kept the gold medal for Russia. "These Russian girls, wow, they are only getting better," said Canadian artistic impression judge Sandra Reberts in Athens.

The pair were absent at an April tournament in Beijing this year, but the Moscow natives are expected to be well received in their hometown as well as in the Games venue Water Cube.

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