SANTIAGO – Curaçao has secured a bronze medal in artistic swimming at the Panam Aquatics Championships in Santiago, marking a significant achievement for the island on the continental stage.
Athletes Ziva King and Yaqil Albertoe earned third place in the Mixed Duet Free Senior category, a discipline that features male and female swimmers performing together.
Albertoe also delivered strong individual performances, winning a silver medal in the Solo Male Free category and an additional bronze in the Solo Male Technical event. Assistant coach Kyra Denise van den Berg received recognition for her contribution to the team’s performance.
The results place Curaçao among the top competitors in the Americas, where countries such as United States, Canada, and Mexico traditionally dominate the sport.
The championships, held from April 8 to 11, brought together more than 300 swimmers from 20 countries and serve as a key continental competition and qualifier for regional games.
The bronze medal represents a notable breakthrough for Curaçao. At the most recent world championships, the island finished outside the top ten in the mixed duet category. Achieving a podium finish at the continental level signals clear progress in the sport.
Aruba also delivered a strong performance at the event, with Kyra Hoevertsz winning gold in the Women’s Technical Solo Senior category, reinforcing her status as one of the region’s leading artistic swimmers.
The results highlight the growing presence of Caribbean athletes in artistic swimming and underline Curaçao’s advancement within the discipline at an international level.
Photo: Ziva King (l) with partner Yaqil Albertoe (r)