USA Synchro hires Spanish Olympian as national coach

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — USA Synchro has hired four-time Olympic medalist Andrea Fuentes of Spain as coach of the U.S. national synchronized swimming team.

Fuentes has coached USA Synchro's Olympic development camp in Spain and helped at other talent camps.

She won two silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Games and silver in duet and bronze in team competition at the 2012 London Olympics. Fuentes and swimmer Mireia Belmonte are the only Spanish female athletes to win four Olympic medals. Fuentes also competed at the 2004 Athens Games.

She won 16 world championships medals and 16 European championships medals in her career. The 35-year-old Spaniard retired in 2013 and began coaching in Spain and other countries.

Fuentes succeeds Lolli Montico, who resigned for personal reasons after coaching the U.S. team since 2015.

The move was announced Saturday.