Courtesy: Canada Artistic Swimming
Anna Voloshyna is the new Head Coach of the Senior National Team for Canada Artistic Swimming (CAS), the national governing body announced today. She will begin full-time duties in her new role next month at the team’s centralized training centre at Institut National du Sport (INS), in Montreal.
Most recently an assistant coach with the U.S. Artistic Swimming national team, Voloshyna is a 10-time World Championship medalist from Kharkiv, Ukraine who brings an impressive resume as a current coach and a former athlete. She holds a Master’s degree in Sport from the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture and earned the prestigious Coach of the Year award from USA Artistic Swimming in 2022.
She has coached national team athletes in three countries – Ukraine, Mexico and the U.S. She developed and coached the routines that secured the first male solo World Championship medal and first Team World medal for USA in 16 years at last summer’s World Aquatics World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
A decorated artistic swimmer for Ukraine, Voloshyna won medals in solo, duet and team events in multiple World Championships and European championships dating back to 2010. Her illustrious competitive career culminated with a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships, after which she made the transition to coaching.
Reporting to Chief Sport Officer Kerri Morgan, Voloshyna will spearhead leadership and management of CAS’s centralized senior team as they set their sights on the World Cup season and Summer Olympics in Paris. Her athlete-first approach aligns seamlessly with the recently unveiled 2024-2028 Canada Artistic Swimming strategic plan, emphasizing a culture of excellence both in and out of the pool.
“Artistic swimming is at a turning point, with new judging criteria demanding a fusion of highly technical skills, sharp choreography, and smart training,” said Voloshyna, who begins her new role on February 19, 2024. “I’m completely engaged and proud to belong to a new generation of coaches that prioritizes the holistic development of athletes, eagerly embracing the evolving rules and innovative strategies to be successful.”
Voloshyna believes that CAS’s path to regaining Canada’s spot among the top five countries in the sport, including the journey to the Olympic podium, will be focused on demonstrating not only athlete strength and skill but also artistry with a choreographic flair that previously was a key component of the Canadian artistic swimming program.
“In my formative years, I looked up to the Canadian Team with awe during the 1996 and 2000 Olympics,” Voloshyna added. “I am impressed with the talent and potential of the Senior National Team’s athletes and coaches to script a remarkable Canadian success story.I’m committed to returning the nation to the international podium.”
Kerri Morgan welcomes Voloshyna’s extensive experience as a highly accomplished artistic swimmer and the athlete-centered approach she brings to the head coaching position.
“Anna’s blend of athlete insight, knowledge of the new scoring system, and talent for crafting smart choreography and training plans is a great fit for us,” Morgan said. “We can’t wait to continue strengthening our National Team program and to keep building on our recent progress as we strive to achieve the performance results we aspire to for 2024 and beyond.”
CAS welcomes Anna, her husband Andrii and their two daughters to Canada.