The 2024 Swimming Global Aquatic Athletes of the 12 months: Honors in Water Polo, Diving, Open Water, Creative, Paralympics
Swimming Global once a year acknowledges the most productive athletes from the realm of aquatic sports activities, and it’s time to unveil the 2024 athletes of the 12 months in diving, open-water swimming, creative swimming, water polo and Paralympic swimming.
QUAN HONGCHAN, CHINA
FEMALE DIVER OF THE YEAR
Despite the fact that simply 17 years previous, China’s Quan Hongchan is already a legend within the game of diving. Heading into 2024, she was once already an Olympic and global champion, and her standing as an all-time nice best grew closing 12 months when Quan doubled within the platform diving occasions at each the Global Championships and Olympic Video games.
Quan first of all excelled on the Global Championships in Doha, the place she claimed gold within the 10-meter platform over countrywoman Chen Yuxi, Swimming Global’s 2023 Feminine Diver of the 12 months. Quan and Chen blended to win the realm name within the synchro platform match and repeated the feat a number of months later on the Olympic Video games. In Paris, Quan retained her name from 3 years previous in Tokyo with a good victory over Chen.
CAO YUAN, CHINA
MALE DIVER OF THE YEAR
When an athlete puts his identify along that of a legend, heads flip. China’s Cao Yuan no doubt opened folks’s eyes right through 2024, when he completed a feat that hadn’t been completed for the reason that nice Greg Louganis was once at the diving forums.
On the Olympic Video games in Paris, Cao registered a runaway victory within the 10-meter platform diving match. In compiling a ranking of 547.50, Cao now not best stormed to gold by way of just about 40 issues, however he retained the name he received 3 years prior in Tokyo. Within the procedure, Cao turned into the primary repeat platform winner since Louganis doubled in 1984 and 1988. For excellent measure, Cao’s 2024 season additionally incorporated a silver medal within the 10-meter platform from the Global Championships in Doha.
BEATRIZ ORTIZ, SPAIN
FEMALE WATER POLO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Spain’s Bea Ortiz. Picture Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
There was once optimism inside the Spanish camp that an Olympic name was once in achieve on the 2024 Video games, and Beatriz Ortiz made certain the ones hopes have been glad. As Spain surged to the gold medal, because of an 11-9 win within the ultimate over Australia, Ortiz flourished. She completed the Video games with 19 targets, which tied for moment within the match, with 4 of the ones targets arriving within the championship fit.
Past main Spain to the Olympic crown, Ortiz helped Spain to the bronze medal on the Global Championships and the silver medal on the Ecu Championships. In membership play, her affect propelled Astralpool CN Sabadell to the Champions League trophy.
DUSAN MANDIC, SERBIA
MALE WATER POLO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The qualifying suits on the Olympic Video games didn’t pass easily for Serbia, because the water polo energy narrowly complex to the quarterfinals after posting a 2-3 listing. However with a pacesetter like Dusan Mandic at the roster, Serbia temporarily discovered momentum and picked up a 3rd instantly Olympic gold medal, a 13-11 win over Croatia finishing the name run.
En path to being named the match MVP, Mandic was once a catalyst for Serbia via his play and management. Mandic completed the Olympics with a tournament-leading 26 targets, and he additionally excelled on the membership degree right through 2024. Mandic led Hungary’s Ferencvaros to a few main titles: the Champions League, Ecu Tremendous Cup and Hungarian nationals.
WANG QIANYI/WANG LIUYI, CHINA
ARTISTIC SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR
There was once merely no isolating Wang Qianyi and Wang Liuyi right through the 2024 creative swimming season, because the Chinese language dual sisters ruled in combination. On the Global Championships in Doha, the tandem earned double gold for its performances within the duet loose regimen and duet technical regimen. The duo additionally helped China sweep the crew occasions.
On the Olympic Video games, Wang and Wang have been simply as unstoppable. In combination, they received the duet pageant by way of just about 8 issues. Their contributions additionally helped China to a dominant triumph within the crew pageant, because the Chinese language squad crowned runner-up United States by way of just about 82 issues.
SHARON VAN ROUWENDAAL, NETHERLANDS
FEMALE OPEN WATER SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
Sooner or later, Sharon van Rouwendaal will likely be inducted into the Global Swimming Corridor of Repute, a praise for her occupation dominance and consistency. When she is enshrined, her 2024 season will for sure stand out, as she left indubitably about her standing because the Queen of Open Water.
Van Rouwendaal opened the 12 months by way of taking pictures a couple of gold medals on the Global Championships in Doha. The Dutch big name sponsored up her crown within the 10K self-discipline by way of prevailing within the 5K as smartly. However the ones performances have been only a precursor for what was once to return. On the Olympic Video games, van Rouwendaal earned the gold medal with a five-second conquer Australian Moesha Johnson. That appearing marked her 3rd consecutive Olympic podium, complementing gold on the 2016 Video games in Rio de Janeiro and silver on the Tokyo Video games.
KRISTOF RASOVSZKY, HUNGARY
MALE OPEN WATER SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
Kristof Rasovszky: Image courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
As Kristof Rasovszky regarded forward to the 10K open-water match on the Paris Olympics, the Hungarian was once comfy along with his preparation. By way of coaching within the Danube River, Rasovszky knew he was once operating in an atmosphere that was once difficult and would have him in a position for the calls for of the Seine.
Rasovszky’s preparation obviously paid off, as he claimed his moment Olympic 10K medal in 2024. After completing within the silver-medal place in Tokyo, Rasovszky upgraded to gold in Paris, successful the development in 1:50:52.7, greater than two seconds transparent of Germany’s Oliver Klement. The victory enhanced an already banner 12 months for Rasovszky, who received the 10K global name at Doha in February.
JIANG YUYAN, CHINA
FEMALE PARALYMPIC SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
If you end up given the nickname, “The Flying Fish,” there may be drive to reside as much as the hype. China’s Jiang Yuyan has been in a position to respond to the problem, obtrusive within the seven gold medals she accumulated on the Paralympic Video games in Paris. Competing within the S6 and S7 classifications, Jiang received gold medals within the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 50 butterfly. She additionally contributed to a couple of Chinese language relays that claimed gold.
Throughout her seven-gold run, Jiang closely edited the world-record e book, environment new requirements in her classification within the 50 loose, 100 loose and 100 again. Blended together with her efforts from the Paralympics in Tokyo, Jiang now owns 11 Paralympic medals for her occupation.
IHAR BOKI, BELARUS
MALE PARALYMPIC SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
On account of Belarus’ make stronger of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ihar Boki’s newest Paralymypic Video games look compelled him to compete beneath the umbrella of the Impartial Athletes. Within the water, despite the fact that, Boki delivered what has been acquainted: dominant performances.
Racing within the S13 classification (visible impairment), Boki received 5 gold medals within Paris’ L. a. Défense Enviornment. Boki’s newest titles arrived within the 50 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly and 200 person medley. His victory within the 200 IM led to a world-record time of two:02.03, and Boki now owns 23 Paralympic medals, 21 of which might be gold. Boki has received a minimum of 5 medals at every of his Video games, along with his debut coming in 2012 in London.
