Bill May announced on December 8 via his Instagram account that Natalia Vega will be part of the mixed duet for the 2019 season.

Vega was a member of the 2017 U.S national team and competed at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, where the Americans placed 11th in technical team and 12th in free team there. She was also a 2016 junior national team member and swam at the FINA Junior World Championships. She competed in the team event there and placed ninth.

Originally hailing from Puerto Rico, she moved to California in 2014 to swim for the Santa Clara Aquamaids, after spending two years with the Tonawanda Aquettes. She is now a junior at the University of the Incarnate Word. During the 2018 season, she helped the UIW team finish fourth at the U.S Collegiate Nationals.

Vega will be May’s fourth duet partner in four years. In 2015, he became a world champion in the technical event with Christina Jones, and earned the silver medal in free with Kristina Lum-Underwood at the world championships in Kazan, Russia. In 2017, May was paired with Kanako Kitao Spendlove, and won two bronze medals in both events at the world championships in Budapest. The U.S mixed duet did not compete in 2018.

Article by Christina Marmet