2023 is almost over and the season is finally winding down, but not for long. Yet another World Championships start in 63 days and will kick off this Olympic year. But first, here is what you might have missed this last month.

Road to Doha 

• Japan has published its convocation for the Doha 2024 World Championships / Olympic qualifiers. The focus is clearly on the Olympic events, as the country will not enter the solo and mixed duet events. The athletes called up are Fujii Moka (team), Higa Moe (duet, team), Kijima Moeka (team), Kobayashi Uta (team), Sato Tomoka (team), Shimada Ayano (team), Wada Ami (team), Yanagisawa Akane (team), Yasunaga Mashiro (duet, team), and Yoshida Megumu (team). Notably absent is Sato Yotaro, who won bronze in acrobatic team in Fukuoka.
• Aruba welcomed Oleksandra Yermakova to its coaching staff. Née Kashuba, she is a multiple-time European champion and World medalist representing Ukraine. She was the coach of Czechia’s duet in 2022 and 2023.

Road to Paris 2024

• France is working with Mourad Merzouki, a professional choreographer, on its new free team choreography ahead of the Olympic Games. The routine will be set to the song “Mesdames” by Grand Corps Malade. Also, bonus points for the sport being featured in one of the most prominent media in the country, France Info.

 

Retirements

• Karoline Christensen of Denmark announced her retirement from artistic swimming. Competing in the duet events, she helped bring the country back to the European Championships in Rome 2022 for the first time since 1995. More recently, she placed 13th in free duet and 16th in technical duet at the 2023 European Games.
• Edoardo Fanton is also hanging up his suit. Fanton represented Italy at the 2019 and 2021 European Junior Championships. He had remained part of the national ‘B’ team in recent years while consistently competed domestically. At the summer national championships last June, he won bronze in solo and also appeared in the mixed duet, free team and acrobatic team routines for his club Aurelia Nuoto asd.

The Best Kept Secret

• European Aquatics released an official statement on the 2024 European Championships, stating that “discussions are at an advanced stage and […] we aim to first announce the Competition dates, to facilitate the planning process, and soon afterwards we will reveal the Competition host.” That was on October  27.

ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET

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