Singapore — July 2025
Team USA concluded the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a series of high-level performances that showcased their resilience, rising talent, and ability to adapt under pressure. With near-podium finishes, lineup changes, and strategic difficulty increases, the team marked a major step forward on the world stage.
Acrobatic Team: An All-or-Nothing Finish
In the final event of the Championships, Team USA raised their declared difficulty in a bold attempt to challenge the world’s best and aim for the podium. With an all-or-nothing mindset, they delivered a high-stakes performance against elite competition. Despite their effort, a base mark in finals led to a 9th-place finish.
Earlier in prelims, their Sorceresses routine earned 4th place after a clean swim. With no medals yet secured heading into finals, the team embraced the risk—knowing the outcome could go either way. Although short of the podium, the coaching staff and athletes expressed pride in the performance, especially in light of organizational changes since Paris 2024. This event served as a turning point to fuel the next season.
Tech Team: Rising From Adversity
The Tech Team faced unexpected adversity when veteran Daniella Ramirez was replaced by rookie Emma Moore just before prelims. Moore rose to the challenge, delivering under pressure.
“Emma is one of the most brilliant athletes under pressure,” said Head Coach Tammy McGregor. “She’s not just smart with counts and patterns—she’s composed.”
Moore added, “I chose the team. There was never any doubt about whether I could do it.”
The prelim swim, despite two base marks, placed 12th and qualified for finals. With no roster changes for the final, the team improved their score by 35 points, finishing 6th overall. Their acrobatic element was ranked 3rd among finalists.
“We focused on acro and tricky connections,” said McGregor. “Even with just 24 hours, they accomplished something incredible.”
Free Team: Just Shy of the Podium
The Free Team routine, themed around the human body as the most extreme machine, opened team competition. A strong prelim swim placed them 4th with a declared difficulty of 68.2250. For finals, they increased to 69.9500 and delivered a powerful performance—finishing 4th again after a base mark.
“They took everything from prelims and leveled it up—more precision, passion, and purpose,” said McGregor.
High Performance Manager Lara Teixeira said, “Choosing to increase difficulty from prelims to finals underscores how much strategy is now part of the sport.”
Assistant Coach Marivi Escalona added, “They rose to the occasion—no hesitation, no fear. Every athlete embraced the task head-on.”
Swimmer Karen Xue described the experience as “surreal,” adding: “We stayed connected, trusted each other, and gave a performance we could be proud of.”
“We saved our best for last and left it all in the pool,” said Ramirez.
Looking ahead, McGregor emphasized that they’ll aim for more difficulty and greater variation in patterns for future finals.
Tech Duet: Debut with Confidence
The Championships opened with the Tech Duet, where Jaime Czarkowski and 16-year-old Junior World Champion Ghizal Akbar debuted a routine to Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.” Their prelim score of 265.7292 placed them 11th and secured a finals spot. They improved in the final and finished 10th—with no base marks or deductions.
The duo was proud to perform cleanly in their first major international meet together.
Looking Ahead
Though Team USA didn’t claim a medal, their performance in Singapore marked a transformation. With top-five and top-ten finishes across events, new leaders stepping up, and increased difficulty embraced, the squad is poised for even greater success in the next international season.
Content & Featured Image sourcing courtesy of USA Artistic Swimming
