After a challenging year, our Junior Squad wrapped up their season with an amazing trip to the Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru. Their journey was a testament to resilience and adaptability, which was later highlighted by their successful performance.

The team kicked off their preparations with a solid five-day training camp at the Sleeman Aquatic Centre in Chandler, Brisbane, finishing with a strong swim at a competition simulation.

Their journey to Lima was met with an unexpected challenge when a cancelled flight caused the team a delayed arrival in South America. Despite the prolonged travel, the team demonstrated remarkable flexibility, using their extra time to continue training at the Airport Hotel.

Once in Lima, the team dedicated their final two days to practice in the competition pool. The Junior Squad’s performances included impressive routines across various categories:

• Technical Solo: Miskai Yasuda qualified to swim her Solo at the World Championships at the Brisbane 2024 Australian National Championships. Despite that this was her first time swimming a solo at a Junior World Championship level she achieved a remarkable swim!
• Free Solo: Bianca Chira, has previously represented the Junior and Senior Squads in 2022 and competed at both the Budapest World Championships and Junior World Championships in Canada. Since the 2024 Brisbane National Championships, Bianca demonstrated development in her difficulty and swam a beautiful "Base Mark" free routine.
• Free Duet: Misaki Yasuda and Sydney Rietman, represented Australia for the first time in the youth category at the 2022 World Championships in Charlotte, USA. This was both girls’ first Junior World Championships they delivered a stunning performance with no "Base Marks".
• Our Technical and Free team: Bianca Chira, Cliodhna Ni Cathain, Caterina Longhi, Jessica Galt, Nicole Furst, Misaki Yasuda, Sherelle Chew, Sydney Rietman, Reserves: Abigail Salmon, Lilli Kapuscik and Natalie Chung.

Head Coach Krisztina Szedlak and Assistant Coach/Team Manager Bianca Palmer reflected on the squad’s progress. They emphasized that this year’s junior program focused on athlete development and experience. According to them, “Every athlete should be proud of their accomplishments. They have emerged from the program as stronger competitors with enhanced Artistic Swimming skills. The increased difficulty in routines pushed their limits, and they rose to the challenge.” The athletes echoed this sentiment, appreciating how the program’s focus on pushing difficulty helped bridge the gap as they prepare for the Senior Program next season.

For the first time, Artistic Swimming Australia offered a coach development position. Hannah Chiang was welcomed to the team and contributed significantly to the squad's success. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn more about the Australian High Performance system and to gain valuable experience working in a camp environment with elite athletes.

Overall, the Junior Squad’s trip to Lima was a resounding success. Their performances reflected significant improvement and development throughout the year. Congratulations to all team members for their hard work and achievements.