Paris 2024 Programme

Let’s get the bad news out of the way:

• Firstly, mixed duets will not be on the programme at the Olympic Games in 2024. In fact, FINA did not ultimately propose any new medal event for consideration by the IOC. The IOC had repeatedly said it would only add new events if it could be held in existing venues and if it could be done within the existing quota. All the while aiming to reduce the overall athlete quota to 10,5k (which they did) and to add four sports (which they did). FINA put mixed duets forward initially, along with other events in its other disciplines, but the federation would have ultimately needed to cut medal events for new ones to be considered. And that’s not happening.
• Second slap in the face, the athlete quota for artistic swimming was reduced to 96 from 104 in Tokyo. This certainly isn’t the way we want to go, and maybe we should take this as a wakeup call.

 

Road to Tokyo

• Tokyo will be all business and almost no play. The IOC announced that athletes could not arrive in the Olympic Village more than five days before the start of their events, and depart a maximum of two days afterwards. With COVID-19, it wants to minimize the risk of exposure as much as possible amongst athletes. The opening and closing ceremonies (if they even happen) are surely going to be interesting.
• Yasuo Mori, deputy executive director of the Tokyo Games Operations Bureau, announced there would be no foreign spectators at any of the remaining test events, including the artistic swimming qualification tournament scheduled for March 4 – 7. Local fans may be allowed at some competitions in very limited numbers.

Spain Headed for Training Camp

• The Spanish team will be in Tenerife for an end-of-the-year training camp to prepare for the Olympic Qualifiers from December 16 – 22. Ona Carbonell will attend the camp, and appears to be part of the 10 athletes gearing up to head to Tokyo in March. Carbonell, who originally would have missed the 2020 Olympics if not for the delay, gave birth to her first child in August.

New Changes in Australia

• Alessandra Ho has joined the Australian Olympic team following the retirement of Jane Fruzynski. Ho swam at the 2019 FINA World Championships, and at the 2016 and 2018 FINA Junior World Championships. This is the second roster change since the team was originally named in February, as Hannah Burkhill replaced Amber-Rose Stackpole in September.

Retirement

• Solène Lusseau has announced her retirement from the French national team. Lusseau had been on the senior national team since 2016. She swam at the 2017 and 2019 FINA World Championships, the 2016 and 2018 European Championships, and the 2016 Olympics Qualification Tournament.

ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET

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