One of nine team members representing the U.S. in Artistic Swimming at the first-ever Junior Pan American Games is 17-year-old Cupertino resident Emily Ding.
Ding and her U.S.A. teammates will compete in Cali, Colombia, when the 2021 Games begin on Nov. 25. The artistic swimming events are scheduled for Dec. 2-4. Athletes between the ages of 17 and 22 will compete in this international multi-sport event for a chance to qualify directly for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Ding attended Monta Vista High and swam for the Santa Clara Aquamaids before training with the U.S.A. Artistic Swimming Junior Team, according to her website. She currently attends online classes at Laurel Springs School while pursuing her athletic dreams.
“I plan on continuing my career with the national team, with the goal of competing in the Olympics,” she states on her website. “In the meantime I will be pursuing a college education while working towards this dream.”
USA Artistic Swimming (USAAS) is a nonprofit recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, and Federation International de Natation Amateur (FINA). In addition to Cupertino’s Emily Ding, the USA Artistic Swimming roster includes Elisa Brunel of Austin, TX; Claudia Coletti of Los Angeles, CA; Ivy Davis of Scottsdale, AZ; Megumi Field of Wilmington, DE; Kenny Gaudet of Lakeland, FL; Keana Hunter of Seattle, WA; Anya Melson of Eden Prairie, MN; and Atira O’Neil of Pleasant Hill, CA.
Click here for more on USA Artistic Swimming, and here to view Emily Ding’s athlete profile.