Iris Tió Casas and Aleksandr Maltsev have been crowned the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming Athletes of the Year after delivering unforgettable seasons highlighted by dominant performances at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025.
With the 2025 season complete, World Aquatics celebrates their achievements across multiple events that have solidified their status as two of the sport’s stand out stars.
Tió Casas Makes Artistic Swimming History for Spain
In 2025, Spain’s Iris Tió Casas produced one of the most remarkable campaigns ever seen in artistic swimming. At just 22, she made history in Singapore by becoming the first athlete to win medals in all four disciplines - solo, duet, mixed duet and team - at a single World Aquatics Championships.
Her four-medal sweep included three golds, highlighted by an emotional triumph in the Women’s Solo Free, where she captured her first world title in a solo event.
“It means a lot because it’s my first World Championship gold in a solo event,” she said, still in disbelief after leaving the pool. “I’m super happy, I can’t believe it right now. It feels like a dream come true.”
Tió Casas described the experience as the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition: “I’ve always dreamt of being the world champion in women’s solo, so I’m a little bit shocked right now.”
Her success extended beyond the solo events. Partnering in the mixed duet free, she added another world title and reflected on what the competition meant to Spain’s artistic swimming community.
“The world championships {in Spain} has more visibility, more people watching. It’s pressure, but we wanted to do our best and we’re very happy it happened this way. Probably a lot of people in Spain will see this and we can be an example for little kids.”
Across the 2025 World Cup circuit, Tió Casas continued her brilliance, amassing an incredible 15 medals, including nine golds, across the stops in France, Canada, Egypt and the Super Final in China. Her season stands among the most decorated in recent artistic swimming history.
Maltsev Returns to the World Stage with Golden Sweep
Aleksandr Maltsev, competing in his first World Aquatics Championships since 2019, reaffirmed his status as a pioneer of men’s artistic swimming with a commanding triple-gold performance in Singapore.
The 30-year-old swept both men’s solo events, technical and free, with decisive wins, showcasing his trademark blend of precision and artistry. His third gold came in the mixed technical duet with his partner Mayya Gurbanberdieva.
After the men’s solo technical event, Maltsev praised the growth of the men’s field: “I’m happy to see a lot of excellent male athletes competing in our sport now. It’s very good for our sport, and I’m happy to compete with them. They show very good swims, very artistic, very technical, and it’s a pleasure to compete with them.”
On being viewed as a trailblazer for men in artistic swimming, Maltsev acknowledged both the weight and the reward: “It's hard because it's a lot of responsibility. You understand that you need to walk out and always show the top level in all aspects. But the support from the young athletes who come up to you and treat you like an icon, that also gives me strength.”
His golden sweep in Singapore solidified Maltsev into the history books.