Team USA are back in the Artistic Swimming team event for the first time since 2008 and will bring a high-risk, high-reward approach to their Paris 2024 routines.
The United States of America will be chasing their first medal in Artistic Swimming in twenty years at the Olympic Aquatics Centre this week, as they bring creativity, flair, and personality to the Mixed Team event.
The nation’s last medal came at Athens 2004, however recent rule changes have created a significant shift in the sport that should give Team USA a strong chance at claiming a medal in Paris. These games will be the first to feature the United States in the team event since Beijing 2008, and the first to include three Pan-American countries.
Team veteran Anita Alvarez will lead the nation in Paris as competition kicks off today.
“Day one for us is going to be the Technical Routine and you will notice that there are required elements that every country has to perform throughout the routine,” explains Alvarez.
“Then there are three free parts to choreograph. That is our Michael Jackson themed routine, and it’s day one, which is super important for us to get a strong start and start the competition off at a good place.”
“They add up the total of the three routines for our total combined score, which is our end result, so day one is kind of kicking it off and hoping to get a strong score.”
The highlight of Team USA’s routine on day one is a hybrid upside down moonwalk that is no doubt going to feature on the day one highlight reels.
“Day two is our Free Routine, its theme is water, so in our routine you'll notice all different kinds of sounds and elements of water, from ice to trickling to bubbles,” says Olympic debutant Jacklyn Luu.
“We really tried to utilise our creativity when we crafted this routine. In this routine there are going to be those hybrid elements, but because it's a free routine, we choreographed it so that it had the most difficulty combined with a very creative, interesting, unique movement.”
“In addition to the hybrids, we also are able to perform several acrobatics, and so it’s going to be a very exciting event.”
For the United States the Free Routine has their highest possible score across all three days, as they take a high risk, high reward approach, that will be their make-or-break routine if they are going to feature in the medals.
“Our Acrobatic Routine is going to be on day three, the day they present medals, and it's actually the first time the Acrobatic routine is going to be involved in the Olympic Games, so it is a brand new event for us,” explains Daniella Ramirez.
“We're super, super excited as it's only acrobatics, so no hybrids, which it is super exciting because usually artistic swimming is mostly upside down. This time we're throwing people up in the air the entire time, so it's a really, really high-flying routine.”
“We're super proud that it is our sorcery routine, so we wanted to take a nod to the way that witchcraft and sorcery has gone throughout the ages. We’re really excited. It's our favourite routine”.
The Artistic Swimming Team Event commences tonight (Monday 5th August) at the Olympic Aquatics Centre, Paris.