Calgary, Alberta to host 2015 UANA Pan Am Synchronized Swimming Championships

Calgary, August 8, 2014 – The UANA Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championships, an event presented every summer in a different American country, will be held in Calgary from August 16-22, 2015, at the Talisman Centre. The very first edition of this event was held in the same venue in Calgary, in 2008, and now that it has gone around the Americas’ continents, it is returning to its original location for the 8th edition.

Organized by Synchro Canada and Synchro Alberta, in conjunction with the City of Calgary, Tourism Calgary and the Talisman Centre, the event hopes to draw 200 of the best synchronized swimmers in the Americas.

In 2014, the competition is taking place in Riverside, California, who will welcome more than 180 athletes from over 13 countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico and many Central and South American countries.

“Synchro Alberta is thrilled to have another opportunity to host the UANA Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championships”, said Gord McLellan, Synchro Alberta President. “In a joint effort with Synchro Canada, Tourism Calgary and Talisman Centre, we are all committed to ensuring a tremendous event. Opportunities like this help further the growth and development of all who participate and in particular will benefit our provincial athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers.”

Recognized as the premier Age Group competition in the Americas, the UANA Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championships will be coming to Canada for the second time. “We’re excited to welcome the 2015 UANA Pan American Age Group Championship back to Calgary”, says Marco De Iaco, Vice President, Sales, Sport & Major Events with Tourism Calgary. “Hosting this competition offers our youth the chance to experience the caliber of international competition they can aspire to. It’s also a great opportunity to showcase our city to youth from around the world. We look forward to hosting the athletes and competition organizers in Calgary.”

During the six days of competition in Calgary, swimmers from the 12 and under, 13-15, Junior and Senior age groups will be competing in four events: Solo, Duet, Team and Free Combination. In all, over 200 athletes from over 15 countries are expected to compete with their teams. “Synchro Canada is pleased and proud to be selected by UANA to host this important development event”, commented Mario Welsh, Synchro Canada president. “Hosting events like this in Canada allows Synchro Canada to showcase our young talented athletes, our beautiful facilities and our capable organizing committees which bring together amazing volunteers from the National, Provincial and Club levels.”

The Talisman Centre is ready. In 2012, the Talisman Centre played host to the Canadian National Qualifier Championships, the largest synchronized swimming competition ever held at that point in Canadian history, welcoming nearly 600 synchronized swimmers, coaches and judges from across Canada. “As a facility whose legacy is built on the 1983 Western Canada Summer Games, Talisman Centre is excited to be awarded the 2015 UANA Pan Am Synchro Championships. The successful bid for this high profile international synchronized swimming competition was a collaborative effort with Tourism Calgary and Synchro Alberta. Talisman Centre is passionate about sport – and people and we are thrilled to welcome athletes from all over the world to experience our iconic facility and world class event delivery, and for our members to watch the true passion and athletic abilities of these amateur athletes.” Jeff Booke, CEO, Talisman Centre.

The event schedule and visual identity will be unveiled in the months ahead.

About UANA

UANA is a sports organization with the purpose of organizing, supervising and controlling, in the western Hemisphere, the amateur aquatics activities of Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Synchronized Swimming, Master and Open Water Swimming.

About Synchro Canada

Synchro Canada is the national organization governing synchronized swimming in Canada. It represents 10 provincial associations, a territorial association, as well as some 150 clubs and 12,000 members across Canada. A member of FINA, the world’s governing aquatic sports organization, Synchro Canada promotes the quest for excellence by developing the athletes, citizens and ambassadors of the sport of synchronized swimming at every level.

Synchro Canada would like to thank its sponsors:

Program partners: Sport Canada, Own The Podium, the Institut national du sport du Québec

Official Aquatic Supplier: Speedo Canada

Official make up: MAKE UP FOR EVER

Official suppliers: Knox Gelatine, AdUp, National Car Rental

Official hotel: Hilton Hotels Canada

For further information, visit Synchro Canada’s Website at www.synchro.ca or follow Synchro Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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For information:

Stéphane Côté

Synchro Canada

Communications Coordinator