Andrea Fuentes, a four-time Olympic medallist turned artistic swimming coach, is returning to Spain to take up the role of head coach of the Spanish artistic swimming team.
Fuentes spent the last six years leading the U.S. national team, culminating in a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Fuentes is taking over the position from Mayu Fujiki, who recently stepped down after leading the Spanish team for seven years; Fujiki had previously indicated that she would step down following the Paris Olympic cycle.
“After a fulfilling and transformative journey in the United States, my mission there has reached its conclusion. I’ve learned how to be a coach in a culture that’s very different from Spain, and now I’m excited to discover how to be the best coach I can become in my home country.
I know this will require finding a new, customized path that fits the unique people I’ll encounter. I love a challenge, and I’m confident that this next chapter will create unforgettable memories. A good coach makes better athletes, but a great coach changes lives. I’m ready to change lives for the better, and allow my own to be transformed in the best way possible. It is an honor for me to become the new leader of the Spanish national team.”
After retiring from competition 11 years ago, Fuentes transitioned into coaching and was named the head coach of the U.S. national team in September 2018, where she was instrumental in rebuilding the American team.
Fuentes helped Team USA climb its way back onto the global stage, claiming multiple podium finishes at the past two World Championships.
The team’s recent resurgence under Fuentes’ guidance culminated in a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking the U.S.’s first Olympic artistic swimming medal in 20 years.
Originally from the Catalonia region of Spain, Fuentes was a prominent figure on Spain’s national team from 1999 to 2013. She appeared in three Olympic Games, winning three silvers and a bronze over the course of her career and becoming one of Spain’s most decorated Olympic athletes, in addition to bringing home 16 World Championship medals.
Joining Fuentes on the move back to Europe is her husband Victor Cano, a former Spanish Olympic gymnast; Cano will serve as the Spanish national team’s acrobatics coach, a role he has already served in for Team USA.
Spain claimed team bronze at the Paris Games, their first Olympic medal since winning bronze in 2012.
Fuentes is expected to begin her new role this fall.