Inspired by Michael Jackson, US Artistic Swimming Team’s Iconic Clip Storms the Internet

Doha World Championships 2024 will be the United States’ last chance to qualify for the team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At such a poignant juncture, the inner harmony in the team has endured several divergent forces. Out of the twelve members of the US artistic swimming team, the squad can only accommodate eight. The tacit competition reached its zenith when a 19-year-old solo performer joined the fray.

Kenneth Gaudet was the first solo performer at the 2023 Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships. He is ineligible for the solo category in Paris and must win the ticket via the team event. As anticipation hits hyperdrive for the Doha World Championships, World Aquatics sparked nostalgia with a mesmerizing throwback to their previous technical routine, inspired by Michael Jackson.

US artistic swimming team sparks excitement for Doha World Championships

World Aquatics uploaded a video on X with the caption, “Inspired by the moves of Michael Jackson impressed the judges! Will Team USA, take home another medal at World Championships!”. The answer to the impending question can be found in the magnificent artistry of the team in the video. For their Fukuoka campaign, Team USA artistic swimming champions chose one of the classics produced by the “Kind of Pop”. The routine was meant to be a tribute to the musical genius of Michael Jackson who popularized American pop the world over. They found “Smooth Criminal” to be the perfect accompaniment to their synchronized swimming skills and incredible craftsmanship.

Andrea Fuentes, former Olympic champion and head coach of the American artistic swimming team spoke to Olympics.com and said, “I have loved him and his music ever since I was a swimmer myself”. The team finalized the song selection after a Las Vegas visit to catch the “One” show. Interestingly, Japan wasn’t the only country to witness the Team’s homage to Michael Jackson.

U.S. artistic swimming team struck gold with Michael Jackson’s routine

Before the team traveled to the Orient in 2023, they showcased the routine in Greece. The FINA Artistic Swimming Super Finals 2022 concluded with the technical team round. Eight athletes from Team USA performed their minutely detailed routine set to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”. Not just the choreography but the singer’s iconic mannerisms came through in the athlete’s facial gestures.

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The team grabbed hold of the judge’s attention and scored 86.1525 for their effort. The gold medal at the end sealed the deal as Daniella Ramirez said, “Our performance was Smooth Criminal and I feel we really, really embodied Michael Jackson this time”. Now, they are secretly preparing to take the swimming world by storm with another routine that exemplifies the grace and precision of artistic swimming.

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