The 2026 World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup season officially came to a close in Toronto, with the Super Final delivering three days of high-level competition and several momentum-building results ahead of the continental championships set to take place over the next few weeks.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the People’s Republic of China finished atop the medal table with five gold medals and one silver. Great Britain followed closely with four golds and one silver thanks to a remarkable outing from Ranjuo Tomblin, while Japan earned one gold, two silvers and a bronze. Germany completed the list of gold-medal-winning nations with one gold and also one silver.
The People’s Republic of China leaves Toronto looking every bit like the team to beat heading into September’s Asian Games, collecting five gold medals and one silver across the weekend.
The first gold came from reigning World Champion Xu Huiyan in the women’s technical solo. Her “Lovesickness” routine was once again in a class of its own, earning a score nearly 10 points clear of the rest of the field. Enchanting and seemingly weightless on the water, Xu combined confidence, technical precision and graceful arm work to secure the title and a score of 264.4450.
Xu then teamed up with Lin Yanjun to claim gold in both duet events. The pair won the technical duet with “Warriors of Moon Shadow,” scoring 314.0565. For Lin, it was a successful continuation of a routine she previously swam alongside twin sister Yanhan, with whom she earned silver at the World Championships in Singapore.
The Chinese pair also made its season debut in the free duet, having skipped the Xi’an World Cup. Their new “Shadow of the Moon” routine (not confusing at all) arrived with the highest declared difficulty (DD) of the field at 67.05 and delivered immediately, earning 315.0224 points for another gold medal.
China’s fourth title came in the technical team event with its world title-winning “Wukong” routine. The team received a clean sweep of 10s on its opening acrobatic element and posted a winning score of 305.6316.
The final gold came in the acrobatic team event with the “Soul of the Terracotta Warriors” routine that also helped China secure the world title last year. Carrying the highest DD of the field at 26.35, the routine once again showcased the team’s extraordinary creativity and execution. The final balance acrobatic movement in particular drew attention, building through multiple phases and with a steady transition out of a bridge, making it of the most memorable moments of the competition.
China’s lone silver medal came in the men’s technical solo, where Guo Muye finished second behind Great Britain’s Ranjuo Tomblin.
Xu leaves Toronto as the most decorated athlete of the Super Final with five gold medals, while team China will now turn its attention toward the Asian Games, where fans will also hope to see the debut of a new free team routine.
Ranjuo Tomblin of Great Britain delivered one of the performances of the season in Toronto and further established himself as one of the leading contenders heading into the European Championships in Paris across his four events. Of note, throughout the entire World Cup season, he collected 17 medals, including 12 golds.
His first victory here came in the men’s technical solo, where the reigning European Champion scored 249.2033. Tomblin had increased his DD to 35.60, 2.35 points higher than in Xi’an. It was a bold move after receiving a basemark on his hybrid in Pontevedra, but the gamble paid off.
The hybrid itself was particularly impressive and featured high barracudas, T9s, continuous spins and excellent height throughout, all flowing together seamlessly. Swimming to George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” Tomblin looked increasingly comfortable with this routine and likely leaves Toronto with a significant confidence boost ahead of his European title defense.
A few hours later, he added a second gold alongside Isabelle Thorpe in the technical mixed duet. Their “Latin Dance” routine, set to “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes, earned 224.3934 points. The pair has overall dominated the World Cup circuit this season, winning four of the five stops in this event.
Tomblin then secured gold in the free solo on the second day with a score of 255.9600. The routine, built around a journey from struggle to power, stood out particularly in artistic impression and comfortably led the field.
His fourth gold came on the final day in the free mixed duet alongside Thorpe once more. Their “Conflict Between Light and Darkness” routine entered as the favorite and delivered accordingly, earning 264.3033 points. Bronze medalists at last year’s World Championships, the pair claimed a fourth World Cup gold in the event and once again separated themselves from the field through their artistic impression.
Great Britain’s other medal came courtesy of Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe in the technical duet. The reigning Olympic silver medalists earned silver with their routine to Indila’s “Dernière Danse,” a nod to their Paris Olympic performance. The pair improved by nearly 10 points compared to their first time out at the Paris World Cup earlier this year, highlighting steady progress as they prepare to return to the Olympic pool for the European Championships.
Overall, Great Britain and these three athletes especially, continue to demonstrate remarkable consistency under the current system. The swimmers appear exceptionally well-prepared, increasing difficulty gradually throughout the season while maintaining a strong emphasis on artistic impression and memorable choreography. Their routines consistently feature thoughtful transitions, innovative movements and elements tailored to the strengths of the swimmers. All in all, the program appears both confident and comfortable in its direction, and one that continues to thrive.
Japan also leaves Toronto with plenty of positives ahead of the Asian Games. The highlight came in the free team event, where the team captured gold with its “Bushido” routine. Entering with the highest DD of the competition at 75.525, the Japanese combined powerful interpretation, exceptional speed and sharp execution to earn 257.9333 for the title.
The result came one day after disappointment in the technical team event, where a basemark on an acrobatic element pushed the team off the podium… and probably cost the featured swimmer some aches after what looked like a painful back flop.
The Japanese acrobatic team also delivered one of the standout performances of the meet. Their “Hunter” routine earned silver and showcased the enormous strides the program has made in what was once considered a weakness. The airborne acrobatic elements notably featured remarkable height and distance, and the team received numerous 10s across the first two acros.
Another silver arrived in the women’s free duet through Higa Moe and Sato Tomoka’s “Symbiosis” routine. Much like for the team, the result was particularly encouraging after the pair suffered a basemark in the technical duet.
Higa also captured a notable bronze medal in the technical solo with her “Birds of Paradise” routine. The medal marked her first senior-level solo podium after winning three world titles at the youth and junior levels in 2022. Adjustments to the placement of her most difficult TRE element proved successful, allowing her to settle into the routine more effectively than in Xi’an where she had received a zero. The result also notably leaves her within striking distance of Germany’s Klara Bleyer.
Klara Bleyer continued her outstanding season with gold in free solo and silver in technical solo. The reigning European champion in free solo heads to Paris as one of the favorites in both solo routines after medaling at every World Cup stop she contested this season, including winning gold in every free solo appearance except Medellin.
Swimming to “Ananke” by Mgzavrebi, Georgia’s Maria Alavidze also maintained her momentum with another bronze medal in free solo, matching her result from Pontevedra and narrowly missing silver by just 0.02 points.
Italy will also head into the European Championships with more confidence after this outing. The nation competed in all 11 events and left Toronto with five medals, enough to secure the overall 2026 World Cup Super Final title.
Perhaps their strongest performance came in the free team event. The reigning vice-European champions delivered one of their best swims yet of their “Angels and Demons” routine, earning silver and building great momentum ahead of Paris.
The Italians also returned their “Chicago” acrobatic team routine to competition after not performing it since the Paris World Cup. They did receive the third highest artistic impression score, but unfortunately received a basemark which prevented a podium finish.
In the technical mixed duet, Lucrezia Ruggiero and Filippo Pelati unveiled a brand-new routine after abandoning their “Smooth Criminal” program that hadn’t brought on much success yet this year. Their new routine, set to “Regarde !” by Monroe, France’s Eurovision entry this year, paid immediate dividends as the reigning world and European bronze medalists captured silver.
Ruggiero and Enrica Piccoli also introduced a new technical duet routine set to Andrea Bocelli’s “Gratia Plena.” While the performance featured timing issues and unsteady execution, resulting in a basemark and a six-point penalty, the experience should prove valuable as they refine the routine and do more numbers over the next few weeks.
One of the feel-good stories of the Super Final came from Chile. Nicolas Campos and Theodora Garrido earned the nation’s first-ever World Cup medal with bronze in the technical mixed duet thanks to their “First Love” routine.
The pair also unveiled one of the most innovative acrobatic pair elements in the competition. Garrido performs what is essentially a backflip in the air before unfolding and entering the water feet first, straight up.
On the final day, Campos and Garrido added another historic result by winning silver in the free mixed duet with their tango-inspired “Passion and Tenderness” routine. Their signature acrobatic element returned and received a perfect 10.
Kazakhstan’s medals all came from the smaller events, with Viktor Druzin contributing to each of them. He earned silver in free solo, bronze in technical solo and bronze in free mixed duet alongside Nargiza Bolatova. Their “Queen of the Sea” routine, choreographed by Olga Pylypchuk, continues to stand out for its dramatic presentation. Bolatova and Druzin are a relatively new partnership this season, with 2024 World Champion Bolatova previously swimming with Eduard Kim, but the pair appears to have found its rhythm quickly.
Mexico captured bronze in the acrobatic team event with its entertaining “Jaguar” routine. The upbeat choreography and challenging final platform acrobatic element helped the team secure a place on the podium.
It was also great to see Itzamary Gonzalez return to mixed duet competition alongside Diego Villalobos. The pair, silver medalists at the 2023 World Championships, impressed with a playful “Pretty Woman” technical routine and strong opening acrobatic elements. Unfortunately, a basemark on the final hybrid, likely due to a T9 not being held at the required height, ultimately limited their result.
The United States wrapped up its 2026 season on a positive note with silver in technical team, bronze in free team with its revamped “Body” routine, and bronze in technical duet. In the latter, the new pairing of Anita Alvarez and Jaime Czarkowski continued to make strides in the rankings, moving ahead of the French pair this time around.
Canada also wrapped up its 2026 season in Toronto, notably officially bidding farewell to its “Céline Dion” technical team routine.
However, the home squad delivered one of its strongest performances in the acrobatic team event, continuing the significant progress it has made in the discipline throughout the season. The Canadians counted only perfect 10.0s on their first two elements. Their second one, a spectacular airborne acro, looked worthy of a diving competition and earned a clean sweep of 10s from the judges.
The nation’s lone medal came in the women’s free solo, where Olympian Audrey Lamothe secured silver with her “Tourner dans le vide” routine, adding another podium finish to a consistently strong season.
With the World Cup season now complete, attention shifts to the continental championships and other major junior events, with first the European Junior Championships starting next week in Munich followed by the European Championships at the end of July. If Toronto was any indication, several nations are peaking at exactly the right moment.
ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET
Cover photo: Antone Saito / World Aquatics
If you’ve enjoyed our coverage, please consider donating to Inside Synchro! Any amount helps us run the site and travel costs to cover meets during the season.