The PAQ U19 Water Polo Championships Bauru 2026 delivered a week of intense competition, national pride and standout performances as teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru and the United States competed for the Pan American U19 titles and qualification for the World Aquatics U20 Water Polo Championship.
From the opening matches to the medal games, Bauru showcased the region’s young talent and provided an important international competition opportunity for athletes representing their countries.
Bauru 2026 showed us that water polo in the Americas is clearly moving in the right direction. We had a great host, incredible energy throughout the week, and, most importantly, an environment where our young athletes, the coaches, and our referees could compete, learn and develop. CBDA and ABDA once again raised the bar for what we can deliver together. PanAm Aquatics events are becoming stronger and more professional, but what makes me most proud is that they are also becoming truly memorable experiences for our athletes. That is exactly what we want: great competition, strong development opportunities and events that our athletes are proud to be part of and will remember long after the final whistle.”
— Maureen Croes, President, PanAm Aquatics
The women’s and men’s competitions concluded with the United States securing both Pan American U19 titles, capping off an exciting week of high-level competition in Bauru.
Women’s podium🥇 United States | Men’s podium🥇 United States |
Several athletes were recognized for outstanding performances throughout Bauru 2026.
Women’s | Men’s |
MVP: Maci Magee #8 – USA
Maya Dos Santos #13 – Brazil
Mckenna Pineda #11 – Canada | MVP: Claiborne Carrington #2 – USA
Luke Harris #1 – USA Best Scorer: Henrico Martins #10 – Brazil |
The Championship also provided an important development opportunity for the technical officials working throughout the week.
Don Cameron, Vice Chairperson of the World Aquatics Water Polo Technical Committee, attended Bauru 2026 as the AQUA Evaluator for Technical Officials, observing and evaluating officiating throughout the competition and contributing to the continued development of Water Polo officials in the Americas.
The PanAm Aquatics Water Polo Technical Committee was present throughout the Championship, with Chair Manuel de Jesus, Vice Chair Bernice O’Connor, Secretary Marie-Claude Deslieres, and committee members Aaron Hidalgo and Mike Dykman supporting the technical delivery of the event. They worked closely with the officials throughout the week, helping ensure consistency and strong technical standards across the competition.
Officials from across the region played an essential role in Bauru 2026, while also benefiting from evaluation, feedback and experience within a continental championship environment.
ABDA played a key role in the high-level delivery of the Championship, with its team supporting competition operations, venue preparation, athlete services and overall event coordination throughout the week.
Bauru previously hosted the PAQ U15 Water Polo Championships in 2025, and the transfer of organizational knowledge from one edition to the next was clearly reflected in Bauru 2026.
“Bauru showed the value of continuity. Having been part of both editions, it was rewarding to see how the experience gained in 2025 translated into a stronger and more efficient Championship in 2026. Sharing that knowledge with the LOC is also part of PAQ’s mission to develop Aquatics across the continent and build lasting event capacity across the Americas.”
— Alvaro Del Pozo, Chief Executive Officer, PanAm Aquatics
Throughout Bauru 2026, every match was played using Malmsten Water Polo balls and goals, supporting high-level competition across seven days of continental action.
The Championship also highlighted Malmsten’s continued support of Water Polo in the Americas and its contribution to the development of the sport throughout the region.
When the final whistle sounded in Bauru, the medals marked the end of the Championship, but for many of the athletes in the pool, this is only the beginning.
Congratulations to every athlete, coach, technical official and National Federation that took part in Bauru 2026. This generation now moves forward with another continental experience behind them and many more opportunities ahead in Water Polo across the Americas and beyond.
