Alisa Ozhogina: “I look at the bronze medal every day so I don’t forget what I’ve achieved and who I am”

Bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics , the Spanish artistic swimming team is back on track this weekend. And it is returning to the capital of France, this time to compete in a World Cup 2025 event (from 28 February to 2 March). It is thus restarting its journey with a new coach ( Andrea Fuentes replaced Mayuko Fujiki ) and with up to three Sevillans in its ranks: Alisa Ozhogina, Marina García Polo and Aurora Lázaro , the first two from Sincro Sevilla and the third from Círculo Mercantil.

The most 'veteran' of the trio of Sevillian mermaids is Alisa, the precursor thanks to her presence in two Olympic events, among other milestones of her distinguished service record in the pool with Spain. She confesses that the medal she won in her second Games is always close at hand, very close. "It is in my room at the CAR in Barcelona. And it is always with me, accompanying me. I look at it every day, when I go out to training and when I come back, to motivate myself . So that I don't forget what I have achieved or who I am," explains Ozhogina.

Now, with Fuentes as technical director, a new stage begins for a Spanish team that in the previous cycle achieved the glory of a world gold and positioned itself among the references of synchronized swimming. “We are eager to debut in competition. Maybe we are starting from scratch in terms of form, but we have experience. We are starting a new path, a new Olympic cycle, although Los Angeles 2028 is still a long way off . We athletes love to live in the present. For now, with our minds set on the small championships. And the Games will come, because first we have to get there. We have not said anything about the Olympic cycle or the Games because in four years so many things can change that nothing is certain and we are going little by little, enjoying each day,” reflects Ozhogina, whose assessments already reflect the sediment of experience.

The Spanish are back in Paris, but in a different pool, specifically the Georges Vallerey , “with a lot of desire and excitement, very happy and with our minds set on the challenges that lie ahead.” There are many, although, as always, there is a main objective set for the summer. “We have our minds occupied with the World Championships in Singapore , we have it very much in mind, but before that we have several World Series left and Andrea has said that the more we compete, the better. We will have to go to France, Egypt, Canada and China first. And there is a European Championship in Berlin . Therefore, there are many competitions and we are very eager and excited. We will go step by step, competition by competition, day by day and training by training,” reiterates the Sevillian born in Moscow, focusing on the immediate future.

There is always room for improvement and refinement in such a demanding discipline as synchro, although the team's evolution in these years under Fujiki 's baton has been truly superlative. A leap in quality that has redirected Spain back towards the elite, where it wants to stay. To do so, it is also necessary to adapt to the new regulations, " some adjustments, new things in different types of scores," says Ozhogina, optimistic about what is to come: "For the moment we have realized that the choreographies are going much better , because we can put more artistic things into the movements. We are very happy to see how everything goes in this first championship."

She has the highest regard for the new coach. “She is a person from whom you can learn a lot and is very motivating. She gives us a lot of confidence. You feel like you can talk to her about anything . We laugh a lot during training and she understands us very well, because you can see that she has recently been a swimmer and that she can help us with many tricks and things that she has also learned during her sports career,” explains Ozhogina, who does not know if she will remain in the duo with Iris Tió. “We will see in this first call-up,” she says. “One thing that stands out about Andrea is that nothing is certain. That is to say, we are going to vary and there will be many changes. Maybe in each competition a different duo will appear . ” There is nothing fixed and people will change, because there are many of us now, fifteen at the moment, and she wants everyone to try a bit of everything," explains the Sevillian, fully immersed in her usual intense routine that combines high-level sport with her studies: "We have been taking exams and we are always studying in our free time . Andrea also gives us a lot of time to study, she helps us manage the exams and organize ourselves so that we can combine both things in the best possible way."