Team USA Opens 2026 Season with Two Medals and Three New Debuts at World Cup Stop in Medellín

Team USA opened its 2026 international season in Medellín with momentum and purpose, capturing two medals while unveiling three brand-new choreographies, a refreshed roster, and a new combination of head coaches on deck.

From the return of Anita Alvarez to Technical Solo, to a bold Beyoncé-inspired Team Technical routine, two competitive duets, and the fan-favorite “Sorceresses” acrobatic performance, the weekend marked the start of a new era for the Americans.

For the first time since the Paris 2024 World Cup season, Anita Alvarez stepped back into the solo spotlight. After prioritizing team events over the past two seasons, Alvarez and the coaching staff agreed earlier this year that the timing was right for her return.

“I’ve always wanted to compete solo again for my own personal goals in the sport, but it was more a matter of timing and what made sense for the team’s overall goals,” said Alvarez. “The coaches and I had a conversation earlier in the season and we all agreed to give it a go. I felt confident in the decision and felt the trust and confidence from them as well.”

Her routine, inspired by a Lana Del Rey track, explored themes of unity, hope, and humanity.

“This routine reflects the search for goodness and hope in a world that can sometimes feel divided,” Alvarez explained. “As both an athlete representing my country and someone who serves it, it explores the balance between immense pride and the desire to believe in the best of who we can be. It’s not about politics, but about empathy and holding onto hope. The energy isn’t explosive — it’s intentional. I’m focused on calm strength, controlled intensity, and emotional authenticity.”

Opening the competition for Team USA, Alvarez delivered a moving performance centered on emotional restraint and technical control. In her first Technical Solo since 2022 — and her first under the new scoring system — she placed fifth after receiving base marks. Despite the scoring setback, judges shared positive feedback with USA staff regarding her artistry and execution.

Head Coach Megan Abarca praised Alvarez’s return.

“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work Anita put into preparing for this competition,” Abarca said. “It’s her first technical solo since 2022 and her first time competing with these new Technical Required Elements. The music is deeply meaningful to her career — both as a longtime National Team and Olympic athlete and through her service in the Air Force WCAP program. I love that this routine highlights her artistry and elegance in transitions, which are some of her greatest strengths. We were so happy to hear positive feedback from the judges in that regard.”

While no final decisions have been made, Alvarez hopes to continue competing solo at future World Cup stops this season.

After teasing the theme on social media, Team USA revealed a bold new identity in its Team Technical routine set to “YAYA” from Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. The upbeat, confident track marked a new stylistic direction for the Americans.

Assistant Coach Paula Klamburg described the creative journey.

“Around mid-September, Megan and I started exploring different music ideas. She actually found the track we ended up choosing,” Klamburg shared. “We were deciding between two Beyoncé songs, but this one felt like the best fit for the identity we wanted to build. We wanted something powerful and expressive — music the athletes would truly enjoy training to. Beyoncé’s music naturally brings strength and presence, which helps the swimmers connect emotionally and project real confidence in the water.”

Choreography began in early fall and continued evolving up to competition day.

“We refined transitions, adjusted timing, and reworked movement sections to better match musical accents and highlight the athletes’ strengths,” Klamburg said. “Even leading into this competition, we were making small changes weekly. It’s been a collaborative, constantly evolving process.”

Despite facing base marks that reduced their difficulty score from 46 to 30, Team USA secured the silver medal behind Mexico in their season debut — a promising start for a routine still taking shape.

In the Technical Duet event, Team USA fielded two pairings: Olympians Jaime Czarkowski and Anita Alvarez, and young rising athletes Kanako Field and Ghizal Akbar.

“We are fortunate to have tremendous young talent in our Senior National Team program this year,” Abarca said. “One way to achieve long-term success is by providing opportunities for both duets to gain crucial competition experience. We’re also excited about the pairing of Anita and Jaime. They’re so strong individually, and with time, they can meld those qualities into an unstoppable partnership.”

Field and Akbar competed first, delivering the only base-mark-free swim for Team USA across the entire competition. The young pair placed sixth — an impressive result in their international debut together on the Senior stage.

“It was really exciting when we found out we had no base marks, especially since we changed our hybrid the day of competition,” Field said. “It could’ve gone either way, but it showed we can handle pressure and trust our training.”

Akbar added, “We were duet partners three years ago at Youth Worlds, so we had that foundation. Coming back together now, we trust each other on a deeper level — not just in the water but mentally. It feels full circle, but stronger and more mature.”

Czarkowski and three-time Olympian Alvarez followed with the same routine, receiving a base mark and placing 11th overall. Despite the result, the pair remained optimistic.

“Although it’s only been a couple of months, I’ve truly enjoyed swimming duet with Anita,” Czarkowski said. “We’ve been teammates for five years, but this is our first time competing together as a duet. In a short time, we’ve grown a lot and have so much potential. We complement each other’s strengths and push one another every day. I’m genuinely excited about what the future holds.”

Team USA closed the weekend with its iconic “Sorceresses” Acrobatic Routine, featuring multiple high-difficulty elements and new structural changes.

“We’ve made adjustments both to the acros we’re competing and to the choreography itself,” said Assistant Coach Marivi Escalona. “We have two new flyers performing all seven acros, and four of those lifts are completely new for this team. We also adjusted transitions to show more variety and complexity.”

Despite receiving two base marks, the Americans’ extremely high difficulty secured the gold medal.

“We’re excited to continue progressing these lifts and aim to show the most difficult versions at the Super Final,” Escalona added. “Now our focus is on making them bulletproof.”

With three new choreographies, two duets gaining valuable experience, and the latest version of the Olympic acrobatic routine unveiled, Medellín served as an important early-season benchmark.

“Our goal was to stay centered within ourselves while showing three brand-new choreographies along with the newest version of our Olympic acro routine,” Abarca said. “We started this process together in November, so this competition came early in our season. It pushed us to put ourselves out there, learn on the fly, and gather valuable feedback from officials.”

She continued, “Now we turn our attention to refining the routines as we move toward the next World Cup stop. We’re excited about the growth we’ve already seen and look forward to showing how much we can elevate these performances as the season progresses.”

With medals in hand and momentum building, Team USA leaves Medellín confident that 2026 is only just beginning.