“We are very excited to perform in Pontevedra because in Spain artistic swimming is growing a lot and we have more fans and supporters,” Olympic medallist Iris Tio Casas tells World Aquatics. “We’re very grateful for this and it’s a great opportunity to show them what we have been working on.”
The finest artistic swimmers on the planet will look to deliver the greatest performances of the season so far as they bid to secure places at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final, via the fourth stage of the 2026 World Cup, in Pontevedra.
Between 29-31 May athletes from nearly 30 countries will compete for medals across the traditional eight events with host nation Spain, the Olympic team bronze medallists from Paris 2024, expected to be among the main highlight performers.
Their line-up is stacked with major medal-winning talent, but within their standout squad one name in particular draws focus after an outstanding, history-making 2025 season.
With Olympic, World and European honours secured before even reaching her 22nd birthday Iris Tio Casas was already a star of the sport, but last year she became the first artistic swimmer ever to complete the set of World Championship titles across all four disciplines – solo, women’s duet, mixed duet and team.
Those successes unsurprisingly ensured she would be awarded the World and European Artistic Swimmer of the Year crowns for 2025.
The 23-year-old, along with her senior team-mates, has focused on training preparations rather than competitive performances so far this season. She will mark her return to action in home waters by taking on a busy programme of solo, duet and team contests.
“It’s very challenging and hard physically as well as mentally doing everything, but I like to do it because it gives me more perspective and a greater chance to improve than if I just focus on solos or duet,” Tio Casas tells World Aquatics.
"We’re very excited to feel the warmth of the people (in Spain) because there is nothing better than performing at home and being with your loved ones"
“At competitions like the World Championships my parents always come and I feel it’s easier for me when I have my friends and family there because it helps keep my nerves under control and I want to show them my very best.”
Following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games former Spanish star Andrea Fuentes, who won four Olympic medals as an athlete herself across the 2008 and 2012 Games, returned to her homeland after agreeing to become the nation’s new head coach.
She had just guided the USA to silver and the signing was seen as a significant statement of intent by Spain’s national governing body.
Their athletes have certainly impressed since Fuentes arrived, winning nine medals – more than any other nation – at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. While her innovative choreography, as well as creativity, led to the development of the viral hit and now iconic team performance to ‘Backstreet’s Back’ by the Backstreet Boys.
“I have very good communication with Andrea, as well as the whole team, and I think that's the key because we share the same passion and always want to be at our highest level,” Tio Casas insists.
“We want to look for the perfectionism and for like challenging the I mean the maximum goals, but also we want to enjoy the process.
"Andrea also gave me a lot of confidence because she always encouraged me and she always takes a lot of care to make sure every person in the team is okay physically and mentally"
“That helps a lot because then you can do your best.”
Fuentes opted not to send her senior athletes to the first three World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup competitions of the season in order to spend more time “researching and developing” new sculling techniques as well as choreography.
The results of that work will be on display throughout the three days of competition in Pontevedra, with Spain represented in each of the contests across the solo, duet, mixed duet and team events.
Following the conclusion of the World Cup season, after the Super Final in Toronto, Canada from 19-21 June, Spain’s attention will switch to the 2026 European Aquatics Championships in Paris, France.
It will see Tio Casas and her countrywomen return to the scene of Spain’s landmark Olympic bronze medal winning success, with the artistic swimming events scheduled to take place in the same Parisian pool used for Paris 2024.
“Of course, we will have memories of that bronze and we will be happy to have these memories back because we did a really good job,” says the 12-time World Championships medallist.
“Now though we keep growing and I think that's what really matters.
Tio Casas continues: “I’m personally very excited to compete there and I will be very happy if I improve from last year because that’s my main goal. We’re also building a solid team, very strong and ready to compete for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.”
The 2026 World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup in Pontevedra, Spain, runs from 29-31 May with live result update as well as reports available on the World Aquatics website.