«I don’t know anything about Bonn»

Karin Singer (left) and Edith Boss in qualifying at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles

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For the Swiss duet Karin Singer / Edith Boss, European medals in synchronized swimming as well as top 5 positions at the Olympics and World Championships were the order of the day.

Although Karin Singer from St. Gallen and Edith Boss from Bern belonged to the absolute top of the world and were always at the forefront in international rankings, victories were rare. The situation was completely different on May 8, 1988. In the middle of the intensive preparation for the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, the European Cup for synchronized swimmers in Bonn was dominated by the two Swiss women of the same age who had swum together for the first time over a decade earlier. Singer won the solo and, together with Boss, the duet competition with the almost completely assembled European elite in the then capital of Germany. On both occasions, they had just got a grip on the (Soviet) Russians, who were strongly aspiring at the time and who now dominate the sport almost at will.

As beautiful as these victories may have been at the moment, the two protagonists no longer have special memories of the occasion 32 years later. «Our focus was entirely on the Olympic Games that took place a few months later. I don’t know anything about Bonn in May 1988, »admits Karin Randegger-Singer with a laugh. “But the victories were, of course, confirmation that we were on the right track for Seoul.”

“We knew each other inside out”

In retrospect, Edith Wälti-Boss is particularly present, “how much we trained together in each of the two Olympic seasons”. In 1984, when the sport celebrated its Olympic premiere in Los Angeles, the then almost 18-year-olds spent six months in Gainesville, Florida, to train with their then coach Heidi O’Rourke. Also in front of Seoul, the duo, which was “physically and in terms of type completely different” (Randegger-Singer), but “knew them inside out” (Wälti-Boss), put their bets on sport. “Together with our trainer Andrea Holland, we traveled a lot abroad and were able to gain so much experience,” recalls Wälti-Boss.

The immense effort should be worthwhile; not in financial terms, despite generous support from Sporthilfe, but in the form of top results in South Korea. As in California four years earlier, the result was 5th place, with the Swiss duet once again delivering confirmation of its class in the freestyle and particularly convincing both the jury and the fans in the packed hall with its lifting figures and charisma. «It was hardly possible to achieve more. There was no medal in it, ”says Randegger-Singer, who, in addition to the great competitive atmosphere, remembers another highlight well:“ I was allowed to carry the Swiss flag at the flag hoist in the Olympic village. It was special and also very nice. »

Randegger-Singer’s life is still intensely about sport. For example, the woman from Eastern Switzerland is still very active in sports, although her first participation in the Engadine Ski Marathon unfortunately fell victim to the coronavirus-related cancellation. “Well, next year,” she hopes. Randegger-Singer also gets a lot from gymnastics through her two sons. While the older son has now stopped competitive sports, the younger son belongs to the expanded national team and will therefore be training in Magglingen from summer.

Now dreams of others should come true

Wälti-Boss is still very closely connected to synchronized swimming. The Bernese has been sport director of Swiss Artistic Swimming for three years and can give something back in this function of the “incredibly beautiful and fascinating sport. I am now trying to make what I have achieved possible for others and to make their dreams come true. »

By the way: 15 months after winning the European Cup, Singer / Boss returned to Bonn again. At the European Championships in August 1989, the duo, which had won EM silver in Strasbourg two years earlier, made a final convincing appearance at the end of a successful career. 3rd place came behind the victorious French women and just behind the Soviet Russians. The day after Karin Singer won bronze in the solo competition for the second time in a row. “These European Championship medals are still a nice reward for all the hard training that we had to do back then,” says Randegger-Singer.

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