ST JOHN'S - Artistic swimming is not new to the Canada Games but competing in St. John's marks a significant first for the sport shifting from the Winter to the Summer lineup in a move designed to better fit athletes and improve the quality of competition.    

Now after six years, artistic swimming is back and according to Canada Artistic Swimming CEO Steve Wallace in a much better place.   

"It's been six long years," said Wallace, watching from The Works Aquarena stands as the solo competition got underway on Tuesday. "It takes a while to apply to go to a particular Canada Games, usually around six to eight years.   

"All the sports apply to be part of the program and the move from Winter to Summer was really made around the schedule of the athletes.   

"We had been in the Winter games in 2019, and when they were choosing the sports to be competed in the Niagara Summer. Games, we were not part of that because they had already chosen all their sports.   

"We had to wait until the next summer games to be part of the program in St John's."   

With artistic swimming part of the Summer Olympic program being included in the Canada Winter Games always seemed like a bit of an odd fit. But it was the sport's competitive calendar not optics that was the prime motivating factor.   

"The athletes usually start their season in October, November, they start to build their first competitions, January February, and our national competitions are in May," explained Wallace. "So, they're really peaking around this time.   

"Now they're able to extend their year and peak in July August and so for us to have it in Winter Games, we're at a bit of a disadvantage because they're just starting their season.   

"Now they can finish their season at the end of May choose their teams in June and get ready to have a strong Canada games performance in July August."   

The move from Winter to Summer is unlikely to impact the sport's hierarchy with Alberta, Quebec and Ontario expected to once again swarm the medal podium. The last Canada Games artistic swimming was part of 2019 in Red Deer Team Alberta swept the gold medals and look to be strong contenders again in St. John's.   

The top six spots in the rankings after Tuesday's technical routines were all occupied by athletes from those three provinces with Team Quebec's Andrea Escobar and Lily Bernier one and two followed by Team Alberta's Lilian Wark and Jasmine Peloquin.   

The Canada Games has long been a pipeline to the national team and Wallace predicted many of names seen in the Works Aquarena will be competing at 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane Olympics 

"Artistic swimming has a long history of athletes competing at Canada Games being chosen for the national team and then competing for Pan Am Games and Olympic Games," said Wallace.

"So, in our view, our athletes for 2028 and 2032 Olympics are going to be in this pool this weekend."

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