With a new Olympic cycle comes new routines for the USA Artistic Swimming national team. The coaching staff and athletes have been hard at work developing new routines that complement the swimmer’s strengths and showcase an impressive level of artistry and difficulty.

Earlier this year, Anita Alvarez, Natalia Vega, Megumi Field and Dani Ramirez were named to the duet squad. Alvarez, a returning two-time Olympian and longtime duet representative, brings veteran leadership and experience to the cohort. Vega rejoined the national team program after graduating from the University of Incarnate Word where she was named a 2021 Collegiate Athlete of the Year. Her previous time competing internationally for USA combined with her collegiate experience means she also brings maturity and leadership to the squad. Dani continues with the national team program after years of dedication to the squad. She was a member of the Robot team that helped catapult the USA back into the international conversation. Her drive and desire to get the stars and stripes back to the Olympics brings a fire to the new team. Finally, Megumi Field will be making her senior debut after proving to be a standout at the junior level with her exquisite extension and technical competency.

“It has always been my dream to go to World Championships and compete at senior-level competitions so being able to swim duet and team at this level is super exciting for me. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to swim with older and more experienced athletes to be able to improve and learn a lot from them,” Field said.

The team made a conscious effort this year to be different than the last and the duet routines are clear representations of that.

For the free duet, two athletes will swim to electronic dance music, bringing a fresh style to international competition. The artist of the song is Troyboi, who coach Andrea Fuentes describes as having a very unique style compared to other electronic artists. She aimed to emulate this creativity in the choreography. Megumi and Natalia will debut this routine at the FINA Virtual World Series that will air March 19th and 20th on the USA Artistic Swimming website.

“I think everyone watching this routine can expect a fast and challenging choreography. The Virtual World Series is our first time competing together and I can’t wait to see how the duet grows from here,” Vega said. “My favorite part of the routine to watch is the beginning. We have a very powerful and long first hybrid. But my favorite part to swim is towards the middle of the routine where we have a long period of connections and lifts.”

You can watch the free duet during the FINA Virtual World Series on March 20th. The routines will be debuted in-person at the U.S. Collegiate Championship in Columbus, Ohio later in the month and then again at the French Open in Paris.

Routine Reveal: Duets

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