LIMA – The World Aquatics Artistic Swimming Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, highlighted the growing strength of the sport around the world as 10 countries had athletes on the podium.

Leading the way on the medal table was the People’s Republic of China, who won four gold medals across the five days of competition.

They were followed by Mexico, who won three golds, and there was one triumph each for Japan, Ukraine, Greece and the United States of America.

Netherlands, Chile, Spain and Italy also took home medals from the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming Junior Championships.

Xu Huiyan starts Chinese gold rush

Image Source: Xu Huiyan, centre, won the first of the People’s Republic of China’s four golds at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming Junior Championships (Mak Cheong Wai/Lima 2024 LOC/World Aquatics)

The first gold medal of the Championships went to Xu Huiyan of the People’s Republic of China, scoring 281.8533 to win the women’s solo technical event.

It set the People’s Republic of China on their way to topping the medal tables, and they also claimed the last gold on offer by scoring 387.4418 in the women’s team free.

They had earlier won the women’s team technical with 305.3328 for their routine, while Guo Muye and Guo Sitong excelled in the mixed duet technical to triumph with a score of 274.6433.

Treble gold haul for Diego Villalobos Carrillo

Image Source: Diego Villalobos Carrillo, centre, impressed with three golds for Mexico in Lima (Mak Cheong Wai/Lima 2024 LOC/World Aquatics)

Diego Villalobos Carrillo starred in Lima representing Mexico, and finished the Championships with three gold medals to his name.

He notched a score of 258.5516 to win the men’s solo technical, and doubled up with 255.0521 to win the men’s solo free.

Nicolás Campos earned two medals for Chile in the men’s events as he placed second in the free and third in the technical, with Guo Muye of the People’s Republic of China taking the technical silver and the free bronze.

Villalobos Carrillo’s stellar Championships concluded as he scored 270.4042 with Camila Argumedo Gomez to win gold in the mixed duet free.

Four more countries earn golds

The spread of gold medals in the women’s events was such that in addition to the People’s Republic of China’s three golds, four other countries had athletes on top of the podium.

The United States of America won the other team event, posting a score of 233.1699 in the acrobatic to narrowly beat Mexico into top spot.

Risako Mitsuhashi and Sakurako Uchida of Japan triumphed in the duet technical with a score of 282.2267.

Daria Moshynska and Anastasiia Shmonina of Ukraine had to settle for silver in that event, but got their gold by scoring 294.6001 in the duet free.

The other gold medallist in Lima was Zoi Karangelou of Greece, who scored 283.2958 to narrowly win the solo free ahead of Marloes Steenbeek.

Netherlands’ Steenbeek also won silver in the solo technical.

In addition, across all the events at the World Junior Championships, Spain earned five bronze medals and Italy one.