Regina Synchronized Swimming Club finds podium twice at Nationals

Bronte Cawkwell and Jacob Korpan with their goal medals from the Senior Mixed Duet event. (Brit Dort/CTV News Regina)

Regina Synchronized Swimming Club brought home a gold and silver medal at the 2022 Canadian Championships in Quebec City.

Jacob Korpan and Bronte Cawkwell were the first duo from the province to compete in The Senior Mixed Duet category.

“I had never seen one. (A duet) So when I got the opportunity to swim one, I took it,” said Cawkell.

The duo had only trained together since February but brought home a gold medal for their performance.

“We were able to get all of our six figures together which is the level they want any mixed doubles to get before they are able to compete at nationals,” said Korpan.

Synchronized swimming has been an Olympic sport since 1984 and includes the team and duet events. But it is the only sport alongside rhythmic gymnastics that is exclusively female.

The Mixed Duet category was added to the World Championships in 2015 and could soon find a spot at the Olympics.

“They’re looking at adding it to the 2028 Olympics. So that’s one of my goals is to work towards that,” said Korpan. “That gives me long-term motivation to have something to do for the next little while.”

The club received a silver medal in the Senior Team Tech Category with a routine they have worked on for awhile due to pandemic delays.

“We’ve been working really hard on that routine the whole year and that one we’ve actually been working on for two because there were no real competitions last year, so I’m happy we got to do it again,” said silver medalist, Anya Mandziak.

The team will now set their sights on their final meet of the season known as “Synch” in Edmonton. They will compete as Team Saskatchewan alongside Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.