Canada’s Santiago 2023 artistic swimming team announced

TORONTO (September 19, 2023) – Canada Artistic Swimming and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s artistic swimming team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Team Canada artistic swimming team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is:

Athletes
Sydney Carroll (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Scarlett Finn (Toronto, Ont.)
Audrey Lamothe (Montreal, Que.)
Jonnie Newman (Calgary, Alta.)
Raphaelle Plante (Quebec City, Que.)
Kenzie Priddell (Regina, Sask.)
Claire Scheffel (Brantford, Ont.)
Florence Tremblay (Rimouski, Que.)
Olena Verbinska (Aurora, Ont.)

The nine athletes were selected for Team Canada through a rigorous internal selection process that took place throughout the 2023 season. The process was based on multiple factors, including performances at international World Aquatics World Cup competitions as well as multiple selection events attended by numerous Canadian judges, technical controllers, and coaches.  

“Our team is very proud to be representing Canada in Santiago,” said team veteran Kenzie Priddell. “Being named to the Pan Am Games team is a huge accomplishment, and we are all excited to share this experience together. Our team is united, driven and resilient – we’ve been working hard on our programs and we are looking forward to performing them at the Games!” 

Team Canada athletes were all part of the traveling squad that competed on the World Cup circuit in 2023, garnering multiple podium finishes along the way, including a silver medal in the team acrobatic event in the season-ending Super Final in Oviedo, Spain in June.

Although all members of the team will be Pan Am Games rookies, Team Canada is no stranger to success at the multi-sport event, having won gold in both duet and team at the past three editions in 2011, 2015 and 2019. In Santiago, the team that wins gold will qualify for both the team and duet events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while the highest-ranked duet not from the gold medal-winning team will also qualify for Paris. 

The 2023 Pan Am Games will be using for the first time the new artistic swimming scoring system unveiled this season by World Aquatics, which is designed to generate scores more accurately reflecting the level of difficulty of the routines performed. The team event will also undergo significant changes from previous Pan Am Games, following the new Olympic format in which the winner will be determined by the aggregate score from three different performances: the technical program, the free program, and the acrobatic routine.

Canada Artistic Swimming’s Chief Sport Officer Kerri Morgan, who will be heading the coaching team in Santiago, praised the athletes for their resilience under challenging circumstances. 

“I’d like to congratulate all members of our team for their hard-earned success. I am so proud of their hard work, their commitment and the team culture they have built,” said Morgan. “I look forward to our next phase of training as we prepare to shine at the Pan Am Games.”

Artistic Swimming will take place October 31 to November 3 (Days 11 to 14) at the Estadio Nacional.

“Welcome to the Pan-American Games, Artistic Swimming Team! As Chef de Mission, I am delighted to greet you all as you prepare to showcase the beauty and grace of artistic swimming,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “Your performance is not just a display of skill; it’s a reflection of artistry, dedication, and teamwork. The synchronized harmony you achieve in the water is a testament to your hard work and passion. May your routines enchant the audience, and may the pool become your canvas for a masterpiece. Best of luck, and let your synchronized movements make a splash at these Games!”

Team Canada’s artistic swimming team alternate athletes, coaches and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Alternate Athletes
Laurianne Imbeau (Quebec City, Que.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)
Alicia Réhel (Mirabel, Que.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)

Coaches
Kerri Morgan (Oakville, Ont.) – Lead Coach
Kasia Kulesza (Laval, Que.) – Coach
Liza Yakhno (Kharkiv, Ukraine) – Coach

Support Staff
Kimberly Vinck (Bogota, Colombia) – Team Manager

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.

The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Stéphane Côté, Chief Officer – Business Development
Canada Artistic Swimming
C: 418-420-2125
E: stephane@artisticswimming.ca 

Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca