TRIBUNJOGJA.COM – Nabilah Marwa Khairunnisa Umarella, an artistic swimming athlete from DI Yogyakarta, is the sole Indonesian representative at the 2022 FINA World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships, number of solo free routines and solo technical routines to be held in Quebec City , Canada, from August 23 to 27, 2022.

Lala, as she is colloquially known, admitted that she was excited and looking forward to competing in the world-class junior artistic swimming championship, learning directly from athletes from leading countries such as Japan, China, the United States and host Canada.

For Lala, participating in the 2022 FINA World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships is an achievement she has dreamed of ever since she decided to pursue a career as an artistic swimming athlete.

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“About 10 years ago, when I was establishing myself as an artistic swimming athlete, I once wrote down goals and plans on a piece of paper. Well, there I wrote the one of my dreams to compete in the 2019 World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships. this position,” Lala explained.

“Alhamdulillah, it is only in 2022 that I have the opportunity, and what is clear is that I am very enthusiastic and excited because this championship is attended by the best artistic swimming athletes from each country,” the silver medal-winning athlete added at the XX Papua National Sports Week (PON) 2021 last.

“Very excited for sure. Plus I also follow them (the athletes) on Instagram. I really want to meet them and learn in person,” he added.

Lala said her participation in the 2022 FINA World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships was a very valuable opportunity to experience the intense competition at the world level.

“In 2015, I participated in the Asian Games but the age group was very competitive. This (2022 FINA Artistic Swimming Junior World Championships) is more tense, the competitors are the junior world champions,” Lala said. .

He said that he and his trainer, Rosa Palmastuti, deliberately left for Canada early, as the preparation time of around 3 days would be used as an adaptation. He and his coach left Yogyakarta in transit to Jakarta on August 16, 2022, before leaving for Canada on August 17, 2022.

“There (Canada-ed) we are currently entering the end of summer. But it is still cold, around 21 degrees Celsius. So leaving deliberately early to adapt,” explained Lala.