KENMORE, N.Y. — An Olympian from Western New York will be coming home with a medal.
Kenmore native Anita Alvarez and Team USA won the silver medal in the artistic swimming team event Wednesday night at the Paris Olympics. It's the first American medal for the since 2004.
China won gold with 996.1389 points. The United States finished with 914.3421, and Spain took bronze with 900.7319 points.
"It's so special, I don't even know how to describe it," Alvarez said. "Team dynamic and team sports are just so different, and winning this alone would not even mean close to what it means now to winning this together with the rest of my teammates."
Alvarez had already made history with this trip to Paris. When she officially made the team, she became the first American to become a three-time Olympian in the sport.
The technical and free routines were held on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the acrobatic routines on Wednesday.
"Although every time we get the opportunity to compete, we gain a new sense of confidence in ourselves and what we plan to show in Paris," Alvarez said in June. "It also always teaches us simultaneously that there’s still tons of room to grow."