More than 300 synchronized swimmers from across Canada will be at Winnipeg’s Pan Am Pool, June 1 – 5, for Synchro Canada’s 2016 Canadian Espoir Championships. The championships are the culmination of the 2016 competitive season for athletes in the 11-12 and 13-15 age groups as well as as synchronized swimmers with a cognitive disability (SSWCD) who will be competing for 10 different national crowns in the figures, solo, duet and team events.
The athletes will represent 31 clubs from 9 Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan) during the championships hosted by Synchro Swim Manitoba in collaboration with Synchro Canada.
12 athletes from the host province will take part in the competition that will also see the participation of over 120 coaches and officials.
Welcome Ceremony: Special demonstration by Canadian Olympic-bound duet
Canada’s Olympic duet of Jacqueline Simoneau and Karine Thomas, who are scheduled to take part in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in August, will be on hand to offer a demonstration of both their technical and free routines during the Championships’ Welcome Ceremony on Thursday, June 2, starting at 4:45pm.
Jacqueline and Karine, who qualified for the Olympics last summer by winning gold at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, just returned from the Japan Open where they won a silver medal in the duet event.
The public is also welcome to attend their training session, led by National Team Head Coach Meng Chen, that will be held in the competition pool between 3:45pm and 4:45pm.
Qualifying event for 2016 13-15 National Team
Also on the line are berths to Synchro Canada’s 2016 13-15 National Team scheduled to compete at the 2016 UANA Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championships which will take place in early September in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The top 35 in the 13-15 figures event on Wednesday will advance to Phase 2, a second figures event scheduled for Friday. The top 24 athletes from Phase 2 will meet again on Sunday for Phases 3 and 4 after which a final team will be selected.
The 2016 13-15 National Team will be led by Head Coach Jennifer Koptie (Scarborough, ON, Regional Training Centre – Ontario), who has been a part of the 13-15 National program for the past 3 years as an assistant coach. She will be assisted by Nathalie Lagrange (Terrebonne, QC, Montreal Synchro).
All-event packages will be available at the door for $25. Family passes are available for $40 and single day tickets for June 1 – June 5 will be sold for $7.