COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Senior National Synchronized Swimming Team will compete in its first World Series event of the year beginning Friday in Beijing.
The China Open will be held April 20-22 at the Yingdong Natatorium, where the U.S. will take part in the duet and team events. Beijing is the second leg of the prestigious FINA Artistic Swimming World Series.
“This is a young team. Most of the girls are between 15 and 17 years old,” said Lolli Montico, U.S. Senior National Team head coach. “The team and duet have been working really hard, but they are really young. It’s a pleasure to build this group up for the next two years.”
Competing for Team USA in China are Anita Alvarez (Buffalo, N.Y.), Grace Alwan (Andover, Mass.), Paige Areizaga (Palm Coast, Fla.), Yara Elian (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Nicole Goot (San Jose, Calif.), Hannah Heffernan (Las Vegas, Nev.), Cassandra Neeley (Williamsville, N.Y.), Daniella Ramirez (Miami, Fla.), Ruby Remati (Andover, Mass.), Abby Remers (Sugar Land, Texas) and team captain Emma Tchakmakjian (New Canaan, Conn.)
Alvarez, a 2016 Olympian, and Remati will make their debut together in the duet competition. Montico believes Remati, 15, might be the youngest competitor at the event.
“Those two match so well – they look like sisters,” Montico said. “They are both very light in the water. Ruby is very young and incredibly talented. I am super confident in them and am willing to work hard with them to lead them to a higher world ranking.”
Alvarez and Remati also will compete in duet at the next World Series event, the Japan Open in Tokyo, April 28-30.
FINA will live stream the China Open at https://www.finatv.live/en (subscription required).
The China Open is one of 10 events in the FINA-sanctioned competition circuit that made its debut last year. The Synchro America Open, sponsored by Orange County, is the U.S. leg of the 2018 World Series and will be held June 7-9 in La Mirada, Calif.
The FINA Artistic Swimming World Series integrates existing and well-recognized competitions in the sport. The international teams taking part collect points at each meet, and final rankings and prize money are tallied at the end of the series.
China Open schedule
Press release courtesy of USA Synchro.