With the countdown clock to the Paris 2024 Games, the Olympic Aquatics Centre opened to competition for the first time this morning for the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup.
Finland’s Mari Moilala was the first competing athlete to dive in and perform her Women Solo Technical Routine.
“Excited but nervous” is how the 20-year-old Finn described being the first competitor to dive into the newly completed aquatics centre in the Seine Saint Denis neighbourhood of Paris.
“Everything is big and fancy. It’s really easy to see under the water, which makes it ideal for bringing out your performance, especially for your artistry. I had a good feeling in the water here.
“I really enjoyed it. The nerves weren’t too much – but I am a bit sad I had one base mark,” Moilala said about her 169.9816 point performance that saw her finish 15th in the 23-competitor field won by Vasiliki Alexandri of Austria.
Starring Alongside the Athletes | Olympic Aquatics Centre
Along with the Le Bourget Climbing Wall, the Olympic Aquatics Centre is the only permanent sports facility built for the Paris 2024 Games. This July and August the venue will host artistic swimming, diving, and water polo events.
The venue is in the outlying Paris neighbourhood of Seine Saint Denis, which was a very strategic choice by the Paris 2024 organisers to bring meaningful public investment into an area of the city lacking in sports infrastructure.
Currently, the energy-efficient building has 5,000 seats for Games-time operations. After the Games, the modular venue will turn into a 2,500-seat facility to host events and be a centre of excellence for the FFN, France's national aquatics federation.
Paris a Place of Firsts for the Finn
Paris is a place of firsts for Moilala. Four years ago, at a World Cup event, she was part of the Finnish contingent that took silver in the Women’s Team Highlight event.
“I’d been on the podium in smaller events before, but Paris was the first for a big event.”
Moilala, What’s to Come?
Saturday will see Moilala compete in the Women Duet Free event with her partner Iiris Nurmi.
The duet is something Moilala said she’s eagerly anticipating. “Duets are different than swimming solos. I’m excited to swim with my partner.”
On Sunday, the Finn will conclude her Paris performance programme with the Women Solo Free Routine.
From Paris, it’s off to the Finnish national championships and then, hopefully, the European Aquatics Championships in the Serbian capital city of Belgrade this June. “That’s the goal for the season.”