Synchro Canada’s Centre of Excellence (COE) Trials get underway this week in Montreal. The event will run from November 24-27 at the Institut National du Sport (INS) du Québec,
The 2016 Selection Trials consist of a number of different evaluations assembled into four phases, including: flexibility, core and strength testing, speed swimming, basic skills done inside a swim and on their own, a technical routine individual swim and a creativity performance.
The Creativity routine, is a new feature added in 2016. For this trial, athletes will prepare a unique, self-composed two-minute routine to music chosen by the COE coaches. They will receive the music five minutes before the beginning of the session. The evaluators want to see movement in the water that includes both upper body use and upside down movement and is consistent with a global objective to increase the choreographic capacity of Synchro athletes moving forward.
The COE Selection Trials will determine the 2017 cohort of Centre of Excellence athletes including those on “Team 2020” who will train full time at the Centre and those on “Team 2024” who will participate in a semi-centralized training program where they will continue to train in their home clubs for the balance of this competitive season supported by National Team training plans as well as coaching and sport science expertise from the National Centre. The athletes on both teams will be eligible for Sport Canada carding.
The Institut National du Sport (INS) du Québec is located at the Piscine Parc Olympique, 4400 Rue Sherbrooke E, Montreal, Quebec.