Synchro Canada – Ottawa, December 10, 2016 — After a physically demanding National Team Trials at the end of November at its Centre of Excellence in Montreal, Synchro Canada is pleased to announce the athletes who have been named to its Senior National Team and Senior NextGen Team.

One new member will join 13 returning veterans on the Senior National Team with their sights firmly set on the 2017 FINA World Championships next July in Budapest, Hungary, and further forward to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan. These centralized athletes will train together full-time at the Institut National du Sport (INS) du Québec starting in January.

Looking ahead to the future, Synchro Canada also named 10 athletes to its Senior NextGen Team. This new program allows the next generation of Canada’s top synchronized swimmers to continue training at their home base, and finish their current educational programs while also coming together centrally for regular sessions at the Centre of Excellence.

“On behalf of all of the National Team coaches, we would like to congratulate every one of the athletes who participated in the COE Trials,” said Meng Chen, National Team Head Coach. “We were so impressed with the hard work that went into preparing for these trials from the swimmers and their coaches. They are a very talented group, who showed terrific poise and good energy right through to the final day’s creative exercise. We are very excited to work with this dynamic group of athletes for many years to come.”

“We saw such tremendous potential throughout the trials from our veterans and our young athletes. We want to prepare for both the next Olympic cycle with the Games in Tokyo in 2020, and also to begin preparing now for the team that will represent us at the Games in 2024,” said Jackie Buckingham, CEO, Synchro Canada, as she outlined the strategy behind naming two teams of athletes. “We are taking a longer-term approach to developing the cohesive energy in the group that will move on to the next Olympic cycle. Training together at regular intervals will help build the relationships and competition-readiness that are critical in our sport as we aim for greater international success.”

Athletes on the two teams represent the wide scope of synchronized swimming in Canada, with athletes from 5 provinces and ranging in age from 16 to 27. In addition to Head Coach Meng Chen, the coaching staff for both programs will include Miho Yoshida and Lyne Piché, among other coaches yet to be named.

As it begins a new training season, Synchro Canada would like to recognize and thank its funding partners, Sport Canada, Own the Podium and the Institut National du Sport du Québec.

The members of the 2017 Senior National Team are:

BALL, Janelle	Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC
BOISVERT, Gabrielle	Cap Rouge, QC
BRISSON, Gabriella	Calgary, AB
*CÔTÉ, Andrée-Anne	St-Georges, QC
HOLZNER, Claudia	Calgary, AB
MAULE, Rebecca	Guelph, ON
McGUIRE, Gwendolyn	Sherwood Park, AB
MORIN, Marie-Lou	Westmount, QC
NEALON, Samantha	Morriston, ON
SAVARD, Elizabeth	Laval, QC
SIMONEAU, Jacqueline	Montréal, QC
THOMAS, Karine	Gatineau, QC
VÉZINA, Laurence	L’Ancienne-Lorette, QC
WONG, Kali	Calgary, AB

* New Senior National Team member

The members of the 2017 Senior NextGen Team are:

ARMSTRONG, Emily	Toronto, ON
BARRETT, Catherine	St. John’s, NL
FIOLA-DION, Camille	Rimouski, QC
GHETA, Maria	Laval, QC
HARROWER, Rebecca	Edmonton, AB
JOLY, Audrey	St-Eustache, QC
PRIDELL, Kenzie	Saskatoon, SK
ROY, Mélody	St-Hyacinthe, QC
STREMLAW, Kristin	Ottawa, ON
WINKELAAR, Cassandra	Calgary, AB

About Synchro Canada
Synchro Canada is an organization that fosters the pursuit of excellence while developing athletes, citizens, and ambassadors of the sport of synchronized swimming at all levels. From its 1924 beginnings in Montréal, synchronized swimming has been actively pursued by more than 70 countries worldwide. Canada proudly ranks among the best of these nations.

Synchro Canada would like to thank its sponsors: 

Program partners: Sport Canada, Own The Podium, the Institut national du sport du Québec
Official Aquatic Supplier: Speedo Canada
Official Skincare and Suncare: Shiseido Canada

For further information, visit Synchro Canada’s Website at www.synchro.ca or follow Synchro Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

– 30 –

For information:

Stéphane Côté
Director of Communications & Events
Synchro Canada
Email: stephane@synchro.ca 
Cell.: (418) 420-2125