ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Two artistic swimmers from the Eastside are representing the U.S. in the Paris Olympic Games as part of the country’s first team to qualify for the Olympics since 2008.
“Knowing I'm representing such a strong country and all the athletes that came before me makes me emotional,” said Keana Hunter, 20, who grew up in Issaquah. “I just know how hard everyone has worked to get to the Olympics. It's amazing feeling, and I'm just so proud and excited."
Hunter and Audrey Kwon, 18, who grew up in Bellevue, are part of a team of eight swimmers.
Artistic swimming, which was formerly known as synchronized swimming, became an Olympic sport in 1984 at the Los Angeles games. The U.S. and Canada were initially the dominant force in artistic swimming, combining for 17 medals.
Since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the Russian Olympic Committee has become the top team, winning 12 consecutive gold medals. The last artistic swimming medal the U.S. took home was a bronze in 2004.
The sport is a combination of gymnastics, dance and swimming. Athletes must be acrobatic and artistic. The routines are scored by judges.
"I'm a big fan of the artistry and the creativity you get to do, with the freedom of movement,” Hunter said. “And I've always loved water."
Hunter first started artistic swimming when she was 8 years old. Over the years, she said she watched the U.S. national team and wanted to be a part of it.
“When I made the team three years ago, I was super, super excited," Hunter said.
The training is intense. Hunter said swimmers train for eight hours a day, practicing synchronization, artistic expression and water movements.
"It takes a lot of perseverance, because it's not something you can do overnight,” Kwon said. “It takes years of practice."
Kwon’s family moved to the Seattle area when she was 2 years old. She started artistic swimming six years later. Kwon said it was fun and interesting to her, as she did swimming and dance.
“Synchro is a mix of both,” she said.
Kwon, who attended Bellevue High School, is the flyer on the team, which is the person on top of a lift who’s thrown out of the water by her teammates.
"When you are swimming with the team you feel a lot of energy and there is a lot of trust with flying,” Kwon said. “We succeed with that aspect. It feels really good."
Both Hunter and Kwon have had Olympic dreams since they were kids, and to get to compete for Team USA is extra special.
" I definitely feel a lot of pride, patriotic, and I'm honored to represent this amazing and big country," Kwon said.
The U.S. placed fourth in the technical routine Monday, behind China, Spain and Japan. The squad will compete in the free routine Tuesday and the acrobatic routine Wednesday.