History was made on Friday as Artistic Swimming returned for the Solo Free finals and the long-awaited Team Acrobatic preliminaries at the 2025 Canada Summer Games.
The day began with the Solo Free B Finals, where Quebec’s Lily Bernier shone with top marks. Her routine scored 207.5988 points, giving her an impressive combined score of 430.1113 points.
« I love my solo, and this was the last time I was going to perform it today. I tried to really be in the moment the whole way through, » said Bernier.
Manitoba’s Chloé Gosselin described the bittersweet feelings of the Solo events ending, while New Brunswick’s Ally Steeves shared the sentiment.
“I’m happy this event is over but I’m gonna miss it a little bit,” said Steeves.
The A Finals followed, with Quebec’s Andrea Escobar coming in first place to secure gold. Her routine earned 205.1600 points, bringing her combined total to 428.2808 points. Escobar continues to deliver strong performances for Quebec in every event.
Saskatchewan’s Morgan Vaughan earned silver with a routine score of 193.6313 points and a combined total of 399.4955 points. This marked a historic first for Saskatchewan, their first medal in Artistic Swimming at the Canada Games.
“I would’ve never thought this would happen,” said Vaughan. “I’m just so excited and the swim felt so good. I’m just so proud of myself.”
Ontario’s Madison Murphy took bronze, finishing just shy of silver with a routine score of 189.9588 points and a combined score of 398.7638 points.
Team Acrobatic preliminaries took centre stage in the evening, drawing a full house for the sport’s most anticipated event for swimmers and spectators alike. The results from the preliminary routines, combined with Wednesdays’ technical routines, will determine rankings for the finals on Sunday.
Quebec impressed once again, landing a top score of 172.4108 points, for a total score of 414.6225 points. Ontario was close behind with a routine score of 177.2313 points, for a combined total of 413.4538 points. Alberta claimed third with 162.3343 points, totaling 394.0301 points with their tech routine.
Teams were thrilled with their swims and already looking ahead to the finals. But for Saskatchewan’s Natalia Hadland, it was a moment to appreciate her team’s journey.
“We came so far, only practicing this routine for two months and I think we all should be really proud of that,” said Hadland.
Artistic Swimming continues on Saturday with the Duet Free finals at 13:00 NDT, leading into its final event, the Team Acrobatic finals on Sunday at 13:00 NDT.