Even though Nicole Dzurko didn’t get to compete in this year’s Paris Olympic Games, she could take satisfaction in knowing that she played a part in the U.S. artistics swimming team’s journey to winning a silver medal.
The 24-year-old Monte Sereno native—who still lists the Santa Clara Aquamaids as her home training club—was part of the 12-women U.S. team in February’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Dzurko competed for the U.S. squad in the acrobatic routine, helping the U.S. earn one of two bronze medals in the event—the other came in the free routine—and clinch a berth into the Olympic Games.
In artistic swimming, competition takes place in three rounds—a technical routine, a free routine and an acrobatic routine—on three consecutive days. The final score is cumulative, based on all three routines.
Despite the monumental achievement—this marked the first time the U.S. had qualified a full roster squad since the 2008 Games—four swimmers, including Dzurko, wouldn’t be able to compete in Paris.
That’s because in the Olympics, every national team can carry only eight swimmers—and the same eight must perform all three routines. Alas, Dzurko wasn’t one of the eight selected for the Olympics.
“It’s been tough because the Olympics has been my dream,” Dzurko said on her TikTok. “I definitely want to continue to the next worlds (championships) and get back to the point where I was at. We’ll see. I would love to go to the 2028 Olympics (in Los Angeles), and it’s definitely on my mind. But I’m not going to set any definitive goals, other than getting healthy, getting back to where I was and going from there.”
Dzurko was referring to undergoing hip surgery in May, which she would’ve delayed had she been chosen to compete in Paris. There’s a neat footnote to this story, however. A 2023 Ohio State graduate who possesses USA and Canadian citizenship, Dzurko applauded USA Swimming for taking care of the four swimmers who couldn’t compete in Paris.
“I’m super grateful because USA Artistic Swimming sent all 12 of us (who competed at Worlds) to cheer on the team in Paris, which I know isn’t the case for all of the teams,” she said.
Dzurko added she would “really love to see a change in the 2028 Olympics so the 12 people that helped the team qualify can be (competing) at the Olympics.” The U.S. not only won a silver medal in Paris—its first medal in 20 years—but it went viral with a Michael Jackson-inspired performance for its technical routine, which included a sequence where it moonwalked upside down.
Monte Sereno’s Miller dynamic on the pitch
Monte Sereno’s Chloe Miller made her presence felt for the U.S. Under-15 Women’s Youth National Soccer Team in the 2024 Concacaf Girls U15 League A Championship in Costa Rica.
The U.S. defeated Mexico 3-0 on Aug. 11 in the title match, capping a dominant run that saw it win five games by a combined margin of 31-1. Miller started at defender in a 11-0 win over Jamaica on Aug. 5 and a 13-0 victory over Haiti on Aug. 8.
She came off the bench to play the entire second half in a 3-0 win over Costa Rica on Aug. 6 and in the semifinal match against Canada on Aug. 9. The latter game was by far the team’s toughest, as it outlasted Canada 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout after the squads had drawn 1-1 through 70 minutes of regulation time.
Miller, a standout on the powerhouse Mountain View-Los Altos (MVLA) Soccer Club and incoming freshman at Mitty High, delivered a pass that led to a Mia Corona goal in the opening minute of the Haiti game.
The U.S. recorded a 29-0 shots on goal advantage and led 5-0 at halftime. This year’s Concacaf Girls U-15 championship was the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 36 national teams divided into three leagues.
The U.S. is now a perfect 4-for-4 in this tournament, having won all three Concacaf championships in which it has previously participated (2016, 2018, 2022).
