About Artistic Swimming
Artistic swimming, formerly known as synchronized swimming, is a mesmerizing and elegant sport that combines elements of dance, gymnastics, and swimming. It is a visually stunning and highly technical discipline that captivates audiences with its seamless coordination, gracefulness, and artistic expression. From intricate formations to breathtaking underwater moves, artistic swimming showcases the extraordinary skill and creativity of its athletes. This is a women’s event. This event is a form of water ballet that originated in the 20th century.
The routines are accompanied by music to which the athletes perform various moves in a synchronized routine. This event was introduced in the Los Angeles Olympics in the year 1984. This sporting event is governed by Fédération Internationale de natation (FINA).
In artistic swimming athletes display their well-choreographed dance routine maintaining their balance in water thus displaying their swimming abilities as well. This event comes with its challenges; the athletes must have advance water skills to keep their body afloat while performing their routine.
They must also possess’ great strength and flexibility along with artistic skills and precise timings. Athletes must also have a high capability of breath control during their routine as they dive upside down to perform their dance routine in water.
The athletes’ train hard to master their choreographed dance routine along with music that usually is associated with e theme. These highly choreographed dance moves are performed by athletes in a synchronized manner. The movements of each athlete should match with the other athletes.
Artistic Swimming Olympic 2020 logo : 
History
Artistic swimming started in the 20th century. Annette Kellerman, an Australian woman popularized this sport in 1907 when she performed water ballet in a glass tank filled with water in New York.
The first competition of synchronized swimming was held in Montreal in 1924. This event became a huge hit in North America. It was introduced as a full fledge event in the Los Angeles Olympics in the year 1984.
From the year 1984 to 1992, this event had two categories, Women’s duet and Women’s solo. But from the Olympics of 2000 onwards, there was a change in categories. Women’s team and Women’s duet are the present categories of this event.
Objective
Objective of the women’s team or duet is to perform a perfectly choreographed dance routine that displays flexibility, timing, different postures and lifts so that their performance is outstanding and attains the highest points from Judges based on difficulty artistic impression, technical skill, patterns, choreography and synchronization.
The athletes executes synchronized routines set to music. The routines combine intricate choreography, athleticism, and precise timing. Competitors must demonstrate exceptional strength, flexibility, and breath control while maintaining a seamless alignment with their teammates. The routines are performed in both shallow and deep water, with athletes utilizing various props such as balls, ribbons, and hoops to enhance their performances.
One of the defining features of artistic swimming is the synchronization of movements among the swimmers. Athletes must be in perfect harmony with each other, executing their routines with impeccable timing and precision. This requires hours of dedicated training, as they must master every movement and transition to ensure a seamless and visually captivating performance.
Music plays a crucial role in artistic swimming routines, setting the tone and enhancing the overall performance. Athletes carefully select music that complements their choreography and helps evoke the desired emotions. They synchronize their movements with the rhythm and melody, creating a captivating visual spectacle that seamlessly merges with the music. This fusion of movement and music allows athletes to express their individuality and engage with the audience on a deeper level.
Each routine lasts up to 5 minutes with the music playing above and below the water. A women’s team consists of 8 members.
Skills and Manoeuvres
- Sculls: Sculls are the hand movement used by the athletes to stay afloat and most important part of swimming. These are also part of the synchronization performance of the athletes. Sculls like alligator scull, torpedo scull, propeller scull, split scull, paddle scull and spinning scull are the most common type of sculls used by athletes.
- Eggbeater Kick: In this scenario, the swimmer is upright with one or both the arms in the air. It is a form of treading water that allows the athlete to gain height and stability above water.
- Highlight: This is a variation where some team members lift another team member out of the water to a substantial height. This is a part of the choreography and requires advance skills.
- The highlighted member is usually the smallest weighed athlete having considerable gymnastics abilities to do some acrobatics mid-air before landing on the water again. The flyer is lifted by other team members also known as lifters.
- Different positions are displayed by the athletes during their routines. Some are single Ballet leg, Flamingo posture, Tub position, Fishtail, double Ballet leg, Crane, Knight and Heron positions.
Rules Of Synchronized Swimming
- Athletes can never use the bottom of the pool for support or the slider rails. They only have to depend upon their sculling position and eggbeater kick to keep them afloat and perform their routine.
- Athletes are allowed to wear brightly coloured swimsuits with insignia to match their theme of music.
- Athletes are also allowed to wear makeup that suits their theme and music.
- Athletes are allowed to wear nose clips and earplugs to keep water from entering their nose or ears during dive or headstand.
- Athletes are allowed to wrap their hair in buns using gelatine so that they do not interfere with their performance.
- Athletes are not permitted to wear goggles during their routine.
- Any missing athlete during their routine will invite penalty for the team.
World Rankings
- World rankings for artistic swimming
- Russia
- USA
- Canada
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