Brantford’s Claire Scheffel will represent Canada at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which run from July 26 through August 11, 2024.
Canada Artistic Swimming and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced the roster of Team Canada’s artistic swimming athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday, June 10, 2024. The athletes are:
Sydney Carroll* (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Scarlett Finn (Toronto, Ont.)
Audrey Lamothe (Montreal, Que.)
Jonnie Newman (Calgary, Alta.)
Raphaelle Plante (Québec, Que.)
Kenzie Priddell (Regina, Sask.)
Claire Scheffel (Brantford, Ont.)
Jacqueline Simoneau (Saint-Laurent, Que)
Florence Tremblay (Rimouski, Que.)
*Travelling alternate
Canada qualified in both the duet and team events for Paris 2024 with its performances at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar in February. The Canadians, considered by many to be underdogs, rose to the occasion after making steady progress since winning the team bronze medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
Since earning their Olympic qualification in February, the team has continued to build on its success. At the World Aquatics World Cup in the newly inaugurated Aquatics Centre in Paris, which also served as the venue’s Olympic test event, the Canadians won silver in the team free routine with the highest degree of difficulty in the field. At the recent Canadian stop of the World Cup circuit held in Markham, Ont, the team continued its successful preparation and gained valuable experience competing in front of a loud and boisterous crowd.
“Going to the Olympics is something we’ve been dreaming about and working towards for so long; I can’t really put into words how much it means to me,” said team co-captain Kenzie Priddell, who had travelled to Tokyo 2020 as the team’s alternate. “This team is so strong and so resilient, and we’ve overcome so many challenges in the past year that we know we’ll be able to overcome whatever is thrown at us in Paris, because we have such a special bond.”
The veteran of the team is Jacqueline Simoneau, who competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 and was an integral part of Team Canada’s four Pan American Games gold medals from Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019. She will make her third Olympic appearance at Paris 2024. After retiring from competition following Tokyo 2020, Simoneau made the decision to return to artistic swimming in 2023. Following her role as an Athlete Service Officer on the COC’s Mission Team at Santiago 2023, Simoneau returned to Canada Artistic Swimming’s national team with the intention to help the team qualify for Paris.
Training for the duet event with Audrey Lamothe, they made their competitive debut together at the 2024 World Championships where they placed fifth in the duet free and seventh in duet technical. At those world championships, Simoneau also won gold in the solo free routine, an event not included on the Olympic program, becoming Canada’s first world champion in artistic swimming in more than 30 years.
“Competing in Paris, a city with such rich sporting history, will be incredibly inspiring,” said Simoneau. “As I approach my third Olympic Games, I am filled with gratitude for everyone who has supported me along this journey and for the opportunity to share this experience with an incredible, unified team. I’m ready to give my all for Canada!”
Following the successful 2024 World Aquatics Championships, the duet of Lamothe and Simoneau continued to build momentum and make significant progress. They won bronze in both the duet technical and duet free programs at the Paris World Cup, and followed that up with two silver medals at home at the Markham World Cup. Lamothe is thrilled to be making her Olympic debut alongside Simoneau, her childhood idol.
“Going to the Olympics is the culmination of a dream I’ve had since I was seven years old. Going there with Jackie is really the cherry on top for me. I’ve already learned so much from her, and to be guided and be able to go through this experience together, I couldn’t ask for more,” said Lamothe.
Earlier today, the artistic swimming team was informed that they would also be receiving a bursary from the Canadian Olympic Foundation’s “Great to Gold” initiative worth a total of $80,000, to be split amongst the athletes. The news was shared by Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission and board member of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, after the team received their official Team Canada jackets at a ceremony at the COC Montreal office. The generous donation will be instrumental in supporting the needs of the athletes on their road to Paris.
Team Canada has won eight Olympic medals in artistic swimming including three gold, four silver and one bronze. Canada’s most recent Olympic medal in the sport, a bronze, came at Sydney 2000 in the team event.
“With each major competition, from the World Championships to the Pan Am Games and the World Cup season, this team gets stronger, more united, and continues to amaze the entire community,” stated Chief Sport Officer Kerri Morgan. “Canadians can be proud of these athletes who will represent our country.”
Artistic swimming will take place August 5 to August 10 (Day 10 to 15) at the Aquatics Centre.
‘’One thing is certain: the Canadian Artistic Swimming Team knows how to swim with both style and power. I am amazed by the synchronized beauty and exceptional creativity of this team. These swimmers are constantly innovating, and this desire to surprise and surpass themselves is the key to their success. I can’t wait to cheer on Team Canada as they shine on the Olympic stage,‘’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission.
Team Canada’s artistic swimming team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following coaches and support staff:
Kerri Morgan (Oakville, Ont.) – Team Leader & Chief Sport Officer
Anna Voloshyna (Kharkiv, Ukraine) – Head Coach
Kasia Kulesza (Laval, Que.) – Coach
Yelyzaveta Yakhno (Kharkiv, Ukraine) – Coach
Maude Alexandre-D’Anjou (Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.) – Physiotherapist
Stéphane Côté (Québec, Que.) – Media Attaché
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.
