Young artistic swimmer part of Team Canada’s push for the podium at Paris Games
Jonnie Newman has been timing her swim career perfectly since she first found a passion for the pool.
No wonder the Calgarian is already a world-class synchronized swimmer dreaming of Olympic gold at the young age of 18.
Yes … she’s Games-bound alright, joining Canada’s entry in the artistic swimming competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“Feeling good — feeling very excited,” said Newman, who was named to the nation’s Olympic squad in June. “It’s definitely feeling more real now but feeling very prepared.
“My first national team I made when I just turned 13,” continued Newman. “So I think from a young age, I kind of got the taste for Team Canada and international competition, and I think then being on the junior national team and then eventually making the senior team really helped me out.”
Of course, it didn’t come easy for Newman.
The biggest obstacle was the move she had to make from her home city — and her home in the southwest community of Oakridge — to Montreal, where the senior team trains full-time.
“I left Calgary when I was 16,” said Newman, actually a native of Grande Prairie, Alta., before moving here and becoming a graduate of the Calgary Killarney Artistic Swim Club. “But luckily, my mom (Nadine) came with me to Montreal. So without her, I definitely would not have been able to survive training eight hours a day and coming home and cooking by myself. So that’s been a big help.
“Thankfully, I know French, but it definitely takes some adapting to go from Calgary to Montreal.
“But because I made the team when I was 16, I’ve had two years to kind of build and get more into the team and become more involved and be one of the main eight swimmers.”
Newman and the Canadian team begin their podium push Monday — with the team technical routines (11:30 a.m. MT) — at the Paris Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, France.
On Tuesday, it’s the team free routines (11:30 a.m. MT) followed by Wednesday’s team acrobatic routines (11:30 a.m.), after which the medals will be celebrated.
“With our team, we really try to not focus on results or our mark or anything like that,” said Newman, the youngest of Canada’s artistic swim team in Paris. “We’re trying to go into each competition, working for a feeling — the feeling of being proud after the swim and being connected and feeling calm and united.
“So that’s just the feeling we’re trying to push into Paris — to have an amazing swim and feel that it’s an amazing swim.”
The Canadians are using a forest magicians theme — “it’s dark and mysterious music,” said Newman — for their technical routine.
Then it’s a boxing motif — Rocky soundtrack included — for the free program.
And finally, Newman & Co. hope to earn a medal with hip-hop music fuelling their acrobatic act, during which you’ll find the young Calgarian in the middle — or the stack position.
“I think it is possible to be on the podium, because of the rule changes,” said Newman, of altered judging now underscoring a points-based system rather than creative impression.
“It’s less about who’s artistic — it’s who can do the hardest things best,” continued Newman, naming teams from the USA, Japan, China and Mexico as top competition. “Like it’s really anyone’s game now. And if we execute perfectly and have our best swim, it’s possible. The whole game is changing, and who’s placing where changes from event to event. So I think everyone’s going to be on their toes more to see what the outcome is.
“Because anyone can win and anyone can lose, that uncertainty definitely causes more stress. So really being focused on the team — being a unit — it helps so much and creates such better swims.”
But ultimately, Newman herself — given that she’s likely just at the beginning of an Olympic career — wants to just soak up the experience of her first Games.
“I’m just wanting to go into these games to enjoy and let everything sink in,” added Newman. “At the moment, I definitely want to stay for the next quad. So I feel like this is just the beginning. So I just wanna feel it all and be able to take what happens in the next couple of weeks and transfer it to the next couple of years.
“My mom can’t believe it still. She stills sees the little kid that first started synchro. She finds it unbelievable.
LOCALS ON DAY 8
Calgary’s Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski has her second medal in as many Summer Olympics with a silver as part of Canada’s women’s eight rowing squad’s performance Saturday.
She was joined by fellow Calgary Rowing Club member Jessica Sevick, of Strathmore, for the proud podium placement in Paris.
Also among locals on Day 8:
• Okotoks swimmer Finlay Knox and Canadian teammates Kylie Masse, Josh Liendo and Maggie Mac Neil finished fifth in the 4×100 mixed medley relay in a time of 3:41.41.
Knox also joined Blake Tierney, Ilya Kharun and Javier Acevedo posted a fourth-place time of 3:32.33 in their heat of the 4×100-metre medley relay.
That final goes Sunday (11:10 a.m. MT).
• Calgary setter Brett Walsh and Canada’s men’s volleyball team lost 3-2 to Serbia in their final Pool A preliminary game.
The result finishes their Olympics winless at 0-3, as they fall short of qualifying for the next round and ends their continued pursuit of the podium.