Canadian Artistic Swimmers Shine but Fall Short of Podium in Paris

The Canadian artistic swimming team kicked off their journey at the Paris Games with a solid performance, but they found themselves in 5th place after the technical program.

Leading the competition were the Chinese swimmers, who dazzled everyone with the quality and precision of their routines. They topped the charts with an impressive score of 313.5538 points.

Trailing behind were the Spanish team, sitting in second place with 287.1475 points, over 26 points shy of China. Italy also put in a strong effort, resting in third with 277.8304 points, nearly 36 points behind the leaders.

The Canadians scored 262.4808 points with a routine inspired by the popular show Game of Thrones. However, a collision and some synchronization issues led to a drop in their score that might have cost them precious points.

This year’s squad is relatively new to this level of competition, with only Jacqueline Simoneau having previous Olympic experience. She is joined by teammates Scarlett Finn, Audrey Lamothe, Jonnie Newman, Raphaëlle Plante, Kenzie Priddell, Claire Scheffel, and Florence Tremblay.

Interestingly, Raphaëlle Gauthier, hailing from Montreal, swam with the Australian team, which is currently in last place with a score of 235.9071 points.

As the competition heats up, the free and acrobatic programs will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The team that garners the highest total score from all three programs will claim the coveted gold medal.