Golden State Warriors, Carolina Panthers…Santa Clara Aquamaids?
With the Rio Olympics just around the corner, 2016 is setting up to be an amazing year for U.S. synchronized swimming – and the Santa Clara Aquamaids.
Starting the year off on a high note, Bill May, perhaps the most well-known male synchronized swimmer in history, and his legendary coach with the Santa Clara Aquamaids, Chris Carver, are being invited to the FINA Gala in Budapest on February 1 to be honored along with the world’s top aquatic athletes and coaches — a well-deserved accomplishment for both May and Carver. The FINA event features athletes from around the world in the five swimming disciplines: water polo, diving, open water swimming, swimming and synchro.
This hard-earned recognition would not have been possible had it not been for the remarkable year the Aquamaids had in 2015. Not only did the Aquamaids take home a hefty medal haul of their own, team members were also part of the U.S. National Team and contributed to their many successes throughout the year. From the history-making rule changes to gold medal after gold medal in the sport’s top events, last year is going to be hard to beat…but that’s not going to stop them from trying.
1. A History-Making Decision to Allow Men to Compete on the World Stage Allows U.S. Legends to Take Home Gold at World Championships in Russia:
The duet of Bill May and Kristina Lum. Photo Courtesy: Santa Clara Aquamaids
Officials opened synchronized swimming up to the mixed pairs event for the 2015 World Championships in Russia which, for the first time ever, allowed men to compete in top-level international events. This achievement was hard-fought for decades. Prior to this decision, men could not compete in World competitions or Olympic qualifiers. Bill May, who started in the sport when he was 10 years old and had been retired for nearly a decade when the announcement was made, was determined to return to the sport and compete on the world stage after being denied that privilege for so many years. To do so, he reunited with his former partner Kristina Lum and Christina Jones, a 2008 Olympian, to compete in the event.
Lum had a story of her own to tell – the mother of two had just given birth to her third child six months prior to the World Championship event but lived up to her world-class athlete status by getting into competing shape, which takes up to 8 hours of training per day, all while caring for her three children. The athletes were all trained by ex-Olympic Coach Chris Carver of the Santa Clara Aquamaids, one of the top clubs in the nation. May and Jones went on to win gold in the technical duet event, while May and Lum won silver in the duet freestyle event to secure their well-earned places in history.
2. Team USA Grabs Top Spot at UANA Pan American Championships in Canada:
The United States picked up six golds and two silvers in August 2015 at the UANA Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championships in Calgary, Canada. The 13-15 National Team consisted of 12 athletes and the 12 & Under National Team consisted of 10 athletes. Both groups came away with gold medals in the team events. Among the top winners in the Championships was Santa Clara Aquamaids’ rising star Nicole Dzurko, who came away with gold medals in all four of her events – solo competition, figures, team and duet with her partner Hailee Heinrich. Chiara Steele and Abigail Kartzinel grabbed gold in the 12 & Under duet final. To add to their medal haul, Nicole Meza also won a gold medal in the 12 & Under solo final, while Caitlin Klauer won silver in the Junior solo final.
3. Santa Clara Aquamaids Challenge the Best at 2015 Junior China Open in Beijing and Win Three Gold Medals:
Ten Santa Clara Aquamaids swimmers ages 16-18 had an amazing showing in August at the 2015 China Synchronized Swimming Junior Open Championships in Beijing, winning three gold medals and a silver. The meet included over 300 athletes from around Asia, including Singapore, Macau, and many province teams from across China. The Aquamaids represented the United States and earned a gold medal in the free combination routine (10 swimmers), the team routine (8 swimmers) and the duet competition.
4. US Team And Duet Win Bronze Medals At Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada:
The U.S. national synchronized swimming team and duet both won bronze medals at the Pan Am Games in Toronto in July. The duet of Mariya Koroleva and Alison Williams won the first U.S. medal of the 2015 Pan American Games by claiming bronze at the CIBC Aquatics Center in Toronto. The podium finish also marked the first medal for the newly joined duo.
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images
5. Legendary Synchronized Swimming Coach Chris Carver Finally Inducted Into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame:
Legendary Aquamaids Coach Chris Carver was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame to join the ranks of other top athletes and coaches in the Bay Area, including famed NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett, San Francisco 49ers Coach Bill Walsh and even Bruce Jenner. After being nominated for the honor 8 times, Carver was recognized in November 2015 for her outstanding achievements in the sport. Carver has been coaching the Aquamaids since 1984 and under her leadership, the U.S. has won the gold in every elite international competition it entered from the 1991 Pan American Games to the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games.
Not only was she inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, she was also named Coach of the Year by U.S. Synchro, the 15th time she has won that honor.
6. U.S. Synchro Gives Strong Showing at FINA Synchronized Swimming World Trophy Event in Shiaoxing, China:
Four National Team Members represented USA Synchro at the 10th Annual World Trophy in Shiaoxing City in December. Sarah Rodriguez, Victoria Woroniecki, and Louisa Strutynski finished 6th in the thematic duet, and Bill May swam in the solo exhibition. World renowned coaches Kim LoPorto and Chris Carver prepared the athletes for this competition with two beautiful choreographies on “Romeo and Juliet” (thematic duet) and the Ravens (May’s solo).
With such an exciting and historic year behind them, synchronized swimming has a lot to live up to in 2016, but with Anita Alvarez and Mariya Koroleva’s upcoming Olympic bid and the plethora of talent on the Santa Clara Aquamaids and U.S. National Teams another landmark year in 2016 is likely.
*Article Courtesy of The Santa Clara Aquamaids— a non-profit, member supported Swim Club that has been producing world-class synchronized swimmers and Olympic athletes since 1964.