Jaqueline Simoneau Wins Gold at 2024 World Aquatics Championships

Against the odds, Vanier graduate Jacqueline Simoneau who stopped competing in artistic swimming two years ago when she started studying Medicine in Podiatry, has reclaimed her crown. When she started her medical studies, Jacqueline had not yet decided whether she would stop competing in artistic swimming altogether or come back to it in the future. Well, the future is here, and so is she. Jacqueline has recently won Gold for Canada in the Free Solo event at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Qatar.

The win is not just a personal triumph, but with it, 27-year-old Jacqueline has become the first Canadian to win the event at Worlds since Sylvie Frechette in 1991 in Perth, Australia.

“It’s unreal,” said two-time Olympian Jacqueline. “This medal doesn’t represent this one performance. It’s a culmination of everybody’s effort in my career — coaches, my parents, consultants. I’m incredibly grateful for everybody who has contributed to this.”

Indeed, Jacqueline has always expressed her gratitude to all the teachers at Vanier who supported her through her years of Health Science studies, all while training constantly and competing internationally. Their flexibility enabled her to compete all over the world at the very highest level while still pursuing studies for her DCS at Vanier.

In addition to her Gold medal, Jaqueline also won Canada’s first artistic swimming medal in women’s solo technical since 2011 when she won Silver a few days earlier.

Congratulations to this extraordinarily inspiring young woman.