Canada’s Swimming Team for Pan American Games 2023

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Artistic Swimming announced Canada’s artistic swimming team has been nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Here are the members of Team Canada’s artistic swimming team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games:

Athletes
Sydney Carroll (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Scarlett Finn (Toronto, Ont.)
Audrey Lamothe (Montreal, Que.)
Jonnie Newman (Calgary, Alta.)
Raphaelle Plante (Quebec City, Que.)
Kenzie Priddell (Regina, Sask.)
Claire Scheffel (Brantford, Ont.)
Florence Tremblay (Rimouski, Que.)
Olena Verbinska (Aurora, Ont.)

The nine athletes were selected for Team Canada through a rigorous internal selection process that took place throughout the 2023 season. In addition to performances at international World Aquatics World Cup competitions, many Canadian judges, technical controllers, and coaches attended several selection events.

“Our team is very proud to be representing Canada in Santiago,” said team veteran Kenzie Priddell. “Being named to the Pan Am Games team is a huge accomplishment, and we are all excited to share this experience together. Our team is united, driven and resilient – we’ve been working hard on our programs and we are looking forward to performing them at the Games!” 

They earned multiple podium finishes along the way, including a silver medal in the team acrobatic event in the season-ending Super Final in Oviedo, Spain.

Although all members of the team will be rookies at the Pan Am Games, Team Canada has won gold both in duet and team at the past three editions in 2011, 2015 and 2019. The gold-winning team in Santiago will qualify for both the duet and team events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as will the highest-ranked duet that is not part of the gold medal-winning team.

The 2023 Pan Am Games will introduce the newly-released artistic swimming scoring system by World Aquatics. This updated system aims to provide more precise scores that align with the difficulty of the routines performed. In addition, the Pan Am Games team event will follow a new format, similar to that of the Olympics. The winning team will be determined by combining scores from three separate performances: the technical program, free program, and acrobatic routine.

“I’d like to congratulate all members of our team for their hard-earned success. I am so proud of their hard work, their commitment and the team culture they have built,” said Morgan. “I look forward to our next phase of training as we prepare to shine at the Pan Am Games.”

Kerri Morgan, Canada Artistic Swimming’s Chief Sport Officer, who will be leading the coaching team in Santiago, praised the athletes’ resilience.

At the Estadio Nacional, artistic swimming will be held from October 31 to November 3 (Days 11 to 14).

“Welcome to the Pan-American Games, Artistic Swimming Team! As Chef de Mission, I am delighted to greet you all as you prepare to showcase the beauty and grace of artistic swimming,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “Your performance is not just a display of skill; it’s a reflection of artistry, dedication, and teamwork. The synchronized harmony you achieve in the water is a testament to your hard work and passion. May your routines enchant the audience, and may the pool become your canvas for a masterpiece. Best of luck, and let your synchronized movements make a splash at these Games!”

For the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, Team Canada’s alternate athletes, coaches, and support staff are:

Alternate Athletes
Laurianne Imbeau (Quebec City, Que.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)
Alicia Réhel (Mirabel, Que.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)

Coaches
Kerri Morgan (Oakville, Ont.) – Lead Coach
Kasia Kulesza (Laval, Que.) – Coach
Liza Yakhno (Kharkiv, Ukraine) – Coach

Support Staff
Kimberly Vinck (Bogota, Colombia) – Team Manager