COVID helped artistic swimmer take different path to 2024 Paris Games
Cheering on Team USA at the Olympics from these parts seems like a sporting wrong.
But if it’s in support of Calgary artistic swimmer Jaime Czarkowski?
Well … then it’s right on.
“The first time I ever put on the Stars and Stripes felt like such a huge honour,” beamed Czarkowski. “Team USA has a history of so much success and national pride when it comes to sports, so to be a part of that and represent this country makes me feel incredibly grateful and proud.”
Indeed, Czarkowski is competing for the United States at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris.
How very strange for a graduate from Calgary’s Western Canada High School and loved ones around her, although she is following in her family’s footsteps.
Her dad, Mark, was born in Newington, Conn., and was a professional athlete, getting drafted by Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners in 1989 and rising as high as the AAA level with the organization.
“I feel super lucky,” said 20-year-old Czarkowski, herself a dual citizen. “All of my friends are incredibly supportive. And from my parents and family friends, I feel a lot of support, which I think is awesome.
“I think for people, it’s hard for them,” continued Czarkowski. “Like, they’ll admit, ‘Oh, man, it’s hard to cheer for the U.S., but I’ll cheer for the U.S. just for artistic swimming, because of you’re on the team.’ So in general, I would say I feel just like tons of support and lots of love from people, even though it’s not their home country.
“I’m very lucky for that.”
Also strange is that COVID kind of caused it.
Czarkowski’s journey in synchronized swimming — now known as artistic swimming — began with the Calgary Aquabelles.
Like many Canadian kids, she found her passion in the pool, but instead of racing lengths, she was drawn to the graceful, coordinated movements of synchro. Her talent was evident early on.
At just 13 years old, Czarkowski made her first Canadian national team. The following year, at 14, she earned a spot on the Canadian junior national team, competing at FINA Junior Worlds.
For years, the Calgarian’s path seemed clear. She was on track to eventually join the senior national team and potentially represent Canada at the Olympics. Summer after summer, she attended trials and remained involved with the national team program. The Maple Leaf was her symbol, and the dream of wearing it on the world stage fuelled her gruelling training sessions.
But then came the COVID-19 pandemic and the global disruption that forced athletes worldwide to reassess their goals and training methods.
For Czarkowski, it became a period of reflection and unexpected opportunity.
“It all started kind of around COVID training from home,” Czarkowski said. “And during that time, there was obviously a lot of unknowns of where my synchro career was going. Was it college or the Canadian team?
“And the American team had just got — a couple years prior — a new coach from Spain (Andrea Fuentes). And during this time, I especially liked watching her — the way she was coaching this team and the way they were improving and just kind of their values and everything. I was very inspired by her.
“Most of it came from just kind of watching the new team and just feeling really aligned with the values and the coach. So … yeah … it seemed like the right fit.”
Her coach with the Aquabelles, Jenn Tregale, reached out to her to get this process started of joining the USA artistic swim organization. After that, it was about heading to trials and making the squad.
No problem for Czarkowski, it seemed.
She made Team USA and then moved to Los Angeles in September 2021.
And suddenly she’s a star among the eight women making up the Stars & Stripes, which qualified for the Olympics in artistic swimming for the first time since 2008 with a bronze medal at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Qatar.
Not only will she compete in team competition in Paris next Monday with the team technical routines (11:30 a.m. MT); Tuesday, with the team free routines (11:30 a.m. MT); and Wednesday with the team acrobatic routines (11:30 a.m.), but she’ll pair up with Megumi Field, the face of the U.S. squad, in the duet portion of artistic swimming on Aug. 9 — with the duet technical routines (11:30 a.m. MT) — and Aug. 10 — with the duet free routines (11:30 a.m. MT).
For Field, Czarkowski’s a different duet partner from the one she won silver with at the 2023 Pan American Games.
“The placement for duet, we don’t really have as much of a goal,” Czarkowski said. “If we have a solid swim, it’s definitely one we can be more proud of because of the lack of hours and practice we put it into it.”
The aim certainly is for a team medal, however, with plenty of focus put on that side of artistic swimming by the Calgarian and her … er … American teammates.
“I’m super excited,” added Czarkowski. “Of course, I’m nervous — like it’s, of course, the biggest competition.
“But yeah, excited. I think my team and I, we feel ready.”