Olympic Medalist Kasia Kulesza Appointed Head Coach of Israeli Artistic Swimming Duet
Former Olympic medalist Kasia Kulesza has been named head coach of Israel's artistic swimming duet, targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Games. She will guide swimmers Aya Mazor and Kati Kunin alongside national coach Valeria Aprilova.
The Israel Swimming Association announced the appointment of former Olympic medalist Kasia Kulesza as the head coach of the Israeli artistic swimming duet, marking a key step in preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Kulesza, who brings over two decades of coaching experience in Canada, has already commenced her duties and is currently on her second official visit to Israel.
Coaching Structure and Routine Development
Kulesza will work closely with the duet featuring swimmers Aya Mazor and Kati Kunin, alongside reserve athletes Noa Kagan and Lia Makmel. Under the training schedule, Kulesza will travel to Israel for several weeks every month and a half, while training between her visits will continue under national team coach Valeria Aprilova. Kulesza will directly guide the duet during international competitions as they chase an Olympic berth.
"I am very impressed by the dedication and hard work of the swimmers," Kulesza said. "From my first visit, it was clear that they bring genuine discipline and focus to training. Our priority right now is to sharpen the technical fundamentals and build the routine part by part."
International Background and Next Generation
Born in Warsaw, Kulesza competed for the Canadian national team from 1986 to 1998, capturing a silver medal in the team event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and a gold medal in the duet at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Since transitioning to coaching in 2005, she has worked with national squads, served on Canada's coaching staff at the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, and led the Canadian junior national team.
Her appointment follows the retirement of Shelly Bobritsky and Ariel Nassee, who steered Israel to a historic appearance in the Olympic final in Paris and secured European Championship medals. The Swimming Association hopes the younger generation will sustain this momentum, following Kunin and Mazor's eighth-place finish in the free duet final at this year's European Championships. The duo is slated to compete in the upcoming World Cup series, the European Games, and the World Championships.
"The association's leadership has decided to continue Israel's Olympic tradition in artistic swimming and strive for another national duet at the Games," a Swimming Association spokesperson stated. "Kasia's arrival brings world-class knowledge and experience, and we are confident this collaboration will elevate the Israeli duet to new heights."
