[Synchro Sensation] Teaming up with Ukrainian standout Dmytro “Dyma” Kotovskyi, the pair delivered a composed, high-level performance in the men’s synchronized final — earning 1st place with a cleanly executed Back-Full-Double-Full.
Salwan & Kotovskyi Strike Gold
On December 14, 2024, in the deep winter of Ruka, Finland, Ashton Salwan opened the 2024/25 international competition season with a defining 1st-place performance at the FIS Europa Cup synchronized aerials event.
Alongside Ukrainian aerialist Dmytro “Dyma” Kotovskyi, Ashton delivered the precision and timing synchronized aerials demands, turning their first competition together into a memorable start to the season.
For Ashton, the gold medal marked an important milestone in his international progression. The result reflected months of deliberate preparation — summer training blocks, international travel, and countless repetitions focused on timing, air awareness, execution, and consistency.
Moment of Alignment
Synchronized aerials demands more than technical ability. Two athletes have to commit to the same rhythm, timing, and execution while performing their jumps side by side.
In Ruka, Salwan and Kotovskyi found that alignment.
Their Back-Full-Double-Full unfolded with control and confidence, bringing together the technical work behind the jump and the trust required to execute it in sync.
The result marked Ashton’s first international synchro podium and his first synchronized aerials event — a memorable step forward at the beginning of the season.
Partnership Built on Trust
The pairing came together quickly, with no shared training time before competition. What followed was a demonstration of what communication, mutual respect, and technical trust could produce when it mattered.
“That moment in Ruka was surreal — we trusted each other, hit our timing, and just let the training take over. To share the top of the podium with Dyma was unreal. It also gave me a real sense of how far I’ve come in just six months, and what I’m now capable of delivering on snow.”
— Ashton Salwan
Building Momentum Beyond the Podium
In addition to the synchronized event, Ashton competed in two individual Europa Cup competitions over the weekend.
He opened with a 19th-place finish on Day 1 before returning and improving to 12th place on Day 2 — settling further into competition rhythm as the weekend progressed.
These were Ashton’s first official snow competitions of the 2024/25 season. Each jump offered another opportunity to work through the early-season nerves, make adjustments, and begin translating months of preparation onto snow under competition pressure.
By the end of the weekend, the progression was tangible: two individual starts, an improved result on Day 2, and a synchro victory alongside Dyma.
Strong Signal Forward
Ruka delivered more than a place on the podium.
For Ashton, the weekend offered an early measure of what months of preparation had built — and confirmation that the progression taking shape through training could carry onto snow in international competition.
The 19th and 12th-place individual finishes showed there was still work ahead. The synchro victory showed something else: how much had already changed.
Ruka closed 2024 with momentum, confidence, and a clearer understanding of what Ashton was capable of bringing to snow.
The season was only beginning.
SEE IT IN MOTION: Watch the companion film HERE
