Well, a promise is a promise @intoronto and everyone else, here's my look at synchro competitions.
Just to clarify, I'm taking my predictions looking at results from 2018 and 2019, and lack of international meetings and training due to pool restrictions in many countries will play a factor here.
Women's 3m Trampoline
Already qualified:
Well, let's start by doing an elimination of the weakest links: Brazil, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Japan are not likely to make the cut into the final.
From there, among the 9 other not qualified finalists, I don't think the South Koreans have really the level to be in top 8; Germany and Ukraine are debuting new combinations, and they could surprise the rest of the field, but I'm not really county finalists.
This leaves us with 6 teams. Amongst them, pairs from Russia and Great Britain are the outstanding ones and their passes, though not free of risks, will be mostly assured. Malaysians finished with silver medals at the last Asian Games, and so did the Americans, although Bacon had a different partner that time. However, if the Italian and Dutch duos can make clean entries, they could surpass the former two teams.
Picks:
Alternate(s):
Women's 10m Platform
Already qualified:
As the last time, let's start by throwing out those who, besides the above nations, haver zero chance: that is Norway, Puerto Rico, South Korea & Venezuela )the team that will not progress from the prelims). Easy right? We have again 6 teams fighting for the available spots.
Sure locks are Canadians Benfeito/McKay and Russians Beljaeva/Timoshina. Unless those pairs get injured or very unlucky, they're firmly in Tokyo. Who will join them? Most surely the British and Italian pairs, who are both consolidated solid scoring pairs, This time, Mexico is likely to end just out of contention, as Agundez is probably one of the worst divers I have the tragedy to ever see and will pull her partner out of contention, and Germany always seem to underperform, though this time their odds could change.
Picks:
Alternate(s):
Men's 3m Trampoline
Already qualified:
Definitely the thoughest event to predict, and not only because it has 22 teams competing at prelims, but because any little error will surely be a heavy mark on the true contenders. Who are them?
Let's start with Gagné/Imbeau-Dulac from Canada, who had to retire at Gwangju, but had very nice showings at the Pan Am Games and World Series in 2019. Germany still has veteran Hausding paired with Rudiger and they are quite consistent at their showings as are European champions Shleikher/Kuznetsov from Russia. Finally, Ukraine's Gorshkovozov/Kolodiy and USA's Hixon/Capobianco are also established teams that on a good day can alter the "natural" order and even finish with a podium.
Picks:
Alternate(s): (I'll be quite glad if Imbeau-Dulac finally conquers his demons and puts all out there, proving me wrong)
Men's 10m Platform
Already qualified:
Another nail bitter to the end, not quite defined yet, except for Ukraine's place with Sereda/Serbin being clear away from the rest.
The other contenders, in no particular order are: Canada with a young duo that improved quite a lot in a couple of weeks in 2019 and I'll surely like them to nail all their entries; Kim/Woo from South Korea will be hoping to repeat that 6th place on home soil; the new US pair, LoSchiavo/Dinsmore, who have been working together for some time and could obtain a nice result here; Germans Massenberg and new partner Wesemann who are an enigma, but could pull and upset, and finally, the made up/weird pairing of Garcia/Willars from Mexico, who are a combination of (inconsistent) experience and (promising) youth )I'll save my ranting on this abortion created by our government later)
Picks: (just barely)
Alternate(s):