Kasia Kulesza is joining Israel’s national artistic swimming coaching staff, the Israel Swimming Federation announced Thursday. She will focus on the duet on its road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Kulesza brings more than two decades of coaching experience and an Olympic medal of her own to the Israeli program.

Kulesza was most recently the Canadian duet coach at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the nation placed ninth in that event. She was also part of the coaching staff at the 2023 Pan American Games. She had also previously served as an assistant coach throughout at the Tokyo Games, where the duet finishing fifth and the team sixth.

Her involvement with Canada’s senior national program dates back to 2019, with roles spanning the senior team and as head coach of the Next Gen program from 2022 to 2025. Before, Kulesza served as head coach of the 2018 Canadian junior national team ahead of the World Junior Championships, and was part of the junior team coaching staff in 2015 and 2016 as well.

Kulesza’s coaching career followed a successful run as a member of Canada’s national team as an athlete, notably winning team silver at the 1996 Olympic Games and at the 1994 World Championships.

She now joins an Israeli coaching staff led by Valeriia Aprielieva and Yael Polka as the program begins its push toward LA 2028.

“[Kasia] brings to the team a wealth of Olympic experience and professional knowledge of the highest level, which will help the duet advance toward their Olympic goal,” the Israel Swimming Federation said.

Israel has competed in the Olympic duet event at each of the last six Games, achieving its best-ever finish in Paris in 2024, when the Israeli pair placed 11th.

ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET

Cover photo: Canada Artistic Swimming

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