Synchro Canada held, during its 2017 Canadian Open Championships, the last phases of its selection trials for its 2017 Junior National Athlete pool. The 16 selected athletes represent the depth of synchronized swimming across the country, training at nine different synchro clubs and coming from six Canadian provinces, ranging from Victoria, BC to Québec City, QC.
These athletes were invited to take part in a number of selection events during the week, including two figure competitions as well as a half-day of routine skill assessment that was held at the conclusion of the competition. Synchro Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, Julie Healy, as well as High Performance Consultant Sheilagh Croxon, led the team of coaches, judges and technical personnel who was on hand for the selection.
“The main goal of the selection was to select the athletes that have the greatest potential to qualify for the Junior Worlds team in 2018,” stated Croxon. “This summer, Synchro Canada will be investing in the development of these athletes, while creating memorable choreographies for our Junior Worlds routines.”
The Junior National Athlete Pool is the first step in a 2-year selection and development process that will culminate with the 2018 FINA Junior World Championships. The athlete pool, whose members are all age-eligible for next year’s biennial competition, will be taking part in a month-long Choreography camp at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, from July 3 to 28, 2017. The camp will be led by Head Coach Manny Wu and Assistant Coach Nathalie Lagrange with Jennifer Koptie leading the development of the duet routine.
“This is part of our long-term approach to developing our young athletes,” added Healy. “They will have the opportunity to work with outstanding coaches for nearly four weeks together. This type of training interval helps to build relationships and the competitive readiness for future national and international success. It will be a truly exciting and productive camp for our coaches and especially our swimmers.”
Synchro Canada is proud to announce that the 16 members of its 2017 Junior National Athlete Pool are:
| NAME | CITY | CLUB |
| AYERS, Kelsey | Calgary, AB | Calgary Aquabelles |
| DUBREUIL, Noémie | Laval, QC | Synchro Laval |
| GURNEY, Teghyn | Toronto, ON | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| HANSEN, Julia | Calgary, AB | Calgary Aquabelles |
| HARGREAVES, Alana | Saskatoon, SK | Saskatoon Aqualenes |
| HOPPER, Paige | Calgary, AB | Calgary Aquabelles |
| JENSEN-LARGE, Olivia | Ottawa, ON | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| KRUGER, Adora | Calgary, AB | Calgary Aquabelles |
| LANDRY, Frédérike | Trois-Rivières, QC | Québec Excellence Synchro |
| LEUNG, Faustine | Toronto, ON | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| McLEAN, Maura | Toronto, ON | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| PARKER, Amy | Spruce Grove, AB | Aurora Synchro |
| REIGNER, Jaiden | Fredericton, NB | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| STIRRAT, Kendall | Vancouver, BC | Pacific Wave Synchro |
| TRUDEAU, Laurence | Boucherville, QC | Montréal Synchro |
| VASLYEVA, Luiza | Victoria, BC | Victoria Synchro |
The group of 16 will be joined at the Choreography camp by the 4 junior-aged athletes who are also members of Synchro Canada’s NextGen Team:
| NAME | CITY | CLUB |
| ARMSTRONG, Emily | Toronto, ON | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| BARRETT, Catherine | St. John’s, NL | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| STREMLAW, Kristin | Toronto, ON | Regional Training Centre – Ontario |
| WINKELAAR, Cassandra | Calgary, AB | Calgary Aquabelles |