Two Sask. women on roster for Canada's artistic swimming team at Paris Olympics
'It's a dream come true,' says Regina's Kenzie Priddell
Kenzie Priddell from Regina and Sydney Carroll from Saskatoon have been nominated to represent Canada as members of the artistic swimming team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The roster was announced this week by Canada Artistic Swimming and the Canadian Olympic Committee. All nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee's team selection committee.
Canada qualified in both the team and duet events at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February.
This will be Priddell's second time at the Olympics. She went to Tokyo in 2020 as the team's alternate and this year she's the co-captain.
"It's such a surreal feeling to be presented these [Team Canada] jackets, being named to the Olympic team. It's a dream come true. It's what we've all been working towards and pushing for since we can remember," Priddell said in an interview.
Canadians were considered underdogs in the sport by many but after making steady progress and winning the team bronze medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, the team has come a long way.
Carroll is travelling as the team's alternate.
"In Paris we really want to make it solid so that we're confident that we can have a clean swim, achieving our difficulty and really having the feeling that we did that together and connected," Carroll said.
Priddell said having the support of her teammates makes everything easier.
"It doesn't matter what we're faced with. Whatever the challenges, we can be about to swim for the most stressful moment but yet we look around the room, we do our eye connection, we just know that whatever happens, we can deal with it," she said.
The Olympic Games in Paris begin July 26. Artistic swimming events are scheduled Aug. 5-10.