USA Artistic Swimming Announces 2026 Junior & Youth National Team Coaching Staff

USA Artistic Swimming is proud to announce the coaching staff that will lead the Junior National Team (JNT) and Youth National Team (YNT) during the 2026 season, as the organization builds toward international success and long-term Olympic development.

Head Coach – Ludivine Stsepaniuk
Assistant Coaches – Ou Liu & Marivi Escalona

The Junior National Team will be selected in April, followed by a choreography camp over Memorial Day Weekend in North Carolina and the official start of summer training on June 15. The team will prepare to represent the United States at the Junior World Championships in Budapest.

 

Ludivine Stsepaniuk brings extensive national team experience to the role, having served as USA’s 12U and Youth National Team Head Coach since 2018. Under her leadership, USA teams have captured a World Championships trophy and 12 medals at Youth World Championships between 2022 and 2025.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to head coach the JNT for the Junior Championships this summer and to coach alongside Coach Ou!” said Stsepaniuk.

 

Joining her on staff is Olympic medalist Ou Liu, whose decorated international career includes silver and bronze medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games and a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games representing China. As a coach, Liu has worked across provincial, club, and national teams internationally and currently leads the Junior/Senior Program at Santa Clara Aquamaids. Her experience developing international medalists brings invaluable expertise to the Junior program.

 

Current Senior National Team Coach, Marivi Escalona, rounds out the staff with both elite competitive and coaching credentials. A former Venezuelan National Team member, Escalona earned medals at the Pan American Championships and regional international events before transitioning to a successful collegiate career at Lindenwood University, where she won multiple U.S. National Championships. As a coach, she has led programs to historic national results, contributed to Youth National Team development, and served as an assistant coach for the 2024 Youth National Team. Escalona currently serves as USA Artistic Swimming’s National Technical Controller and was instrumental in developing the 2024 Rising Stars Camp curriculum.

 

Together, this staff brings Olympic-level experience, international medal success, and a deep commitment to athlete development as the Junior team prepares for Budapest.

 

Head Coach - Laura Mase

Assistant Coaches - Oleksandra Burdova & Inga Gillyer

Laura Mase steps into the role of Youth National Team Head Coach with decades of experience in the sport. Involved in USA Artistic Swimming since 1993, Mase has coached at every level and developed numerous national team athletes. She previously served as Head Coach of the 12U National Team and as Youth National Team Assistant Coach, bringing continuity and a deep understanding of athlete progression within the USA system.

 

Inga Gillyer, a former Ukrainian National Team athlete and multiple-time European, NCAA, and National Champion, brings world-class technical knowledge to the staff. Recognized by World Aquatics as a flexibility and mobility expert, Gillyer’s specialized methods have become widely used throughout the artistic swimming community.

 

Oleksandra Burdova adds international coaching experience across Europe and the United States. A former National Coach for Switzerland’s Junior and Youth National Teams, she guided athletes to national championships and international success. Currently coaching at Blue Legend Swim Club in the U.S., Burdova has developed U.S. national champions and Youth National Team athletes, including members of the 2025 Youth National Team who earned a silver medal at the World Championships. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes technical precision, physical excellence, artistic creativity, and mental resilience — all essential pillars of high-performance development.

 

With Olympic medalists, international champions, and nationally recognized technical leaders on staff, the 2026 Junior and Youth National Team programs are positioned to build on recent international momentum and continue elevating USA Artistic Swimming on the world stage.

 

As selections begin this spring and training camps launch this summer, the focus is clear: develop confident, technically exceptional athletes prepared to compete — and medal — at the highest levels of international artistic swimming.

USA Artistic Swimming looks forward to an exciting 2026 season and the continued growth of its national team pipeline.