"This team is the chosen one": Anita Alvarez on course to make third US Olympic artistic swimming appearance
Anita Alvarez is set to be the first three-time Olympian in US artistic swimming history.
On 8 June, USA Artistic Swimming revealed the roster of athletes who are set to compete in the Olympic Games Paris 2024. This all-female team is led by two-time Olympian Alvarez, poised to make history as the first American artistic swimmer to compete in three Olympics.
The remaining athletes will also earn the title ‘Olympian’ when they dive into the pool on 5 August, all marking their debut in French capital this summer.
The athletes selected* to represent the United States this summer are Anita Alvarez, Daniella Ramirez, Megumi Field (duet), Jamie Czarkowski (duet), Jacklyn Luu, Audrey Kwon, Keana Hunter, Ruby Remati, and Calista Liu as the alternate.
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Anita Alvarez brings experience to Paris 2024
Tonawanda native Anita Alvarez is on course to mark her third Olympic appearance in Paris, bringing a wealth of experience and a renewed sense of confidence to the team. "Our confidence is level. Which I feel is a great place to be," Alvarez shared in the announcement. "Every time we compete, we gain a new sense of confidence in ourselves and what we plan to show in Paris. It also teaches us that there’s still tons of room to grow.”
Alvarez has been a key figure in USA Artistic Swimming for the past decade. She competed in the women's duet at Rio 2016 with Mariya Koroleva, finishing in 9th place, and again at Tokyo 2020 with Lindi Schroeder, finishing 13th in the preliminaries. In 2022, Alvarez experienced a dramatic moment at the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, where she was saved from drowning by her coach Andrea Fuentes after falling unconscious at the end of her routine.
But, the 27-year-old has bounced back, having appeared in six World Championships, winning one silver and three bronze medals in team events, and has competed in three Pan American Games. She has been on the podium 14 times since Tokyo 2020 and earned the title of USA's Artistic Swimming Athlete of the Year in 2021.
Now, Alvarez is due to compete in the team routines in Paris, passing the duet responsibilities to her younger teammates.
What doesn’t break you makes you stronger: The struggle behind the fairytale quota ending
But the team’s road to Paris has been anything but easy. On 3 November 2023, the Americans fell short of securing an Olympic quota at the Pan American Games by just 0.6638 points, despite winning two silver medals. The team returned home determined to avoid that disappointment again. Working with both mental and acrobatic coaches, they regrouped and came back stronger.
Head Coach Fuentes said: “The pain of not qualifying at the Pan Am Games was the best thing that could happen to us. We used it as fuel to become stronger.”
Their resolve was put to the test three months later at the 2024 World Aquatic Championships in Doha. An error during their Acrobatic Routine in the preliminary rounds prompted the team to redo an element. Although the judges didn't accept the second attempt, the team still secured a spot in the finals.
The drama continued the next morning when roster complications threatened their eligibility for the finals. But, the team adjusted quickly and delivered a near-flawless routine, earning a score of 242.2300 and a bronze medal.
Building on this momentum, the team entered the technical routine preliminaries with high expectations. Their Michael Jackson routine placed fourth, advancing them to the finals, where they maintained their position and topped the Olympic Qualification standings.
The team focused on their free routine in their final swims, finishing fourth in the preliminaries. And, on 9 February 2024, Team USA not only claimed their second world medal but also secured a quota for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
The US team went on to win team free gold again at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup in June 2024.
“This team is the chosen one. This is the team that any coach would love to have. I am truly blessed and thankful," said coach Fuentes.
For the first time in 16 years, the United States is due to send a full team of artistic swimming athletes to the Olympic Games, having qualified for both the duet and team competitions for Paris 2024.
Paris 2024: This team will be our heroes
The path to Paris was challenging but the American artistic swimmers remain determined to turn heads and exceed expectations. Their goal is nothing short of historic triumphs for the red, white, and blue, aiming to win a medal for the US for the first time in 20 years.
“It has been a long and calculated process of hard choices since Doha. Our entire 12-athlete squad qualified the team in February, each one making history and bringing renewed hope to our country. Nobody can take this away from them; these 12 will forever be our heroes,” stated Fuentes.
Although no men were selected for the US team, Paris 2024 marks their debut in the Olympic pool. Male artistic swimmers will compete in the team event, with a limit of two men per eight-member squad.
The artistic swimming events will take place over five days at the state-of-the-art Paris Aquatics Centre, from 5-10 August.