Canada’s rising stars in artistic swimming made their mark at the Junior Pan American Games, as Olena Verbinska and Charlie Breault captured the silver medal in the Duet event. The competition, held at the Aquatics Centre in Asuncion, featured some of the top junior athletes from across the Americas and delivered a thrilling showcase of skill, artistry, and precision.
The Canadian pair, coached by Kasia Kulesza, impressed the judges with a beautifully executed free routine. Their strong performance built on the momentum from their technical routine earlier in the week, where they also ranked in second position. Together, their combined score secured them a well-deserved place on the podium, just behind Mexico, who claimed gold. The United States rounded out the podium in third.
In addition to the duet success, Canada also celebrated an impressive showing in the Mixed Duet event. The pairing of Isabelle Koptie and Nathan Zhang, coached by Amy Armstrong, built on their solid performance in the technical performance earlier in the week, and ultimately finished fourth overall. Despite just falling short of a medal, the performance marked an important milestone for the Canadian program, marking the first presence participation of a mixed duet at a Pan American Games.