What Happened to Synchronized Swimming? How Artistic Swimming Replaced 40-Year-Old Sport

What happened to Synchronized swimming in the Olympics? And when was the 40-year-old sport replaced by Artistic swimming? Here’s all you need to know

By Natasha Bose

Published on Aug 05, 2024 | 05:05 PM IST | 203.3K

How Did Synchronized Swimming Become Artistic Swimming? Find Out

In this Article

USA Artistic Swimming CEO Adam Andrasko described this change as the beginning of a new era for the sport
What does it take to excel in artistic swimming?
So, how can you watch artistic swimming live at Paris 2024?

Where did ‘synchronized swimming’ go? Over 40 years after its Olympic debut, the sport underwent a rebranding as 'artistic swimming'. In July 2017, the International Swimming Federation, or FINA, announced that the sport would now be called “artistic swimming,” effective immediately. The change wasn't well received by everyone, to say the least.

“Artistic Swimming’ sounds like something society ladies did with their bosom friends at garden parties or after tea in the early 20th century,” wrote Jessica Lewis, one of more than 11,000 people from 88 countries who signed a petition against the renaming at the time. “Synchronized swimming is a REAL sport for REAL athletes.”

Artistic swimming first appeared in the Olympics at the Los Angeles 1984 Games. For the first time in Olympic history, male athletes will compete in the sport during the team event in Paris in 2024.

In 2020, the organization formerly known as USA Synchronized Swimming decided to rename itself USA Artistic Swimming.

USA Artistic Swimming CEO Adam Andrasko described this change as the beginning of a new era for the sport

“As a world leader in the sport we recognized the need to align with the changes FINA made, and we are proud to support the great work that is being done by them to move our sport forward,” Andrasko said in a statement. “However, that is not the only reason for the change. The name change offers us an opportunity to showcase how the sport has evolved. Gone are the days of water ballet. This is where true athleticism and artistry meet. We look forward to showing you how exciting artistic swimming is.”

The term “synchronized swimming” originated from the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair, where a new style of swimming debuted. In the 1920s and ’30s, swim clubs across the United States were experimenting with floating patterns and swimming “stunts” that emphasized form and group work over individual speed. Katharine Curtis, a physical education instructor at the University of Chicago, added music from a poolside gramophone to synchronize swimmers with a beat and each other, calling her innovation “rhythmic swimming.”

When the World’s Fair came to Chicago, Curtis organized a show with 60 female swimmers called “Modern Mermaids,” who performed three times a day all summer, accompanied by a 12-piece band. The radio announcer, Norman Ross, described the spectacle as “synchronized swimming,” and the name stuck. Curtis saw competitive potential in this new swimming style and oversaw the first meet between teams in 1939. Within two years, synchro was fully accepted by the Amateur Athletic Union, officially establishing it as a competitive sport.

What does it take to excel in artistic swimming?

The strength of weightlifters, the speed and lung capacity of distance swimmers, the flexibility and skill of gymnasts, and the ability to perform in perfect sync with the music and each other. And all this must be done without ever touching the bottom of the pool.

“Imagine sprinting all-out, while underwater, chlorine in your eyes, holding your breath and trying to be in line with seven of your other colleagues,” says Kim Davis, president of Artistic Swimming Australia.

Unlike other Olympic swimming events, goggles are banned in synchro. Artistic swimmers are also judged on presentation and maintaining eye contact with the judges, which is why they wear heavy eye makeup to highlight their expressions, and they can’t surface from the water squinting and rubbing their eyes.

In recent years, the routines have become more challenging in an effort to score higher points, with faster moves, higher lifts, and reduced distances between swimmers from a few feet to a few inches.

The intensity of the routines and the long periods during which swimmers must hold their breath have led to some athletes passing out during performances.

FINA's judging manual now warns that artistic swimmers who hold their breath for more than 45 seconds risk hypoxia.

While the sport now emphasizes breath-holding skills less than before, swimmers still spend a significant portion of their routines below the surface. The Australian team, for instance, is underwater for a total of 2 minutes and 20 seconds of their 4-minute routine, according to Thompson.

In June, U.S. artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez briefly lost consciousness at the end of her duet routine during the Olympic qualifier in Barcelona. After noticing the 24-year-old slipping beneath the surface, coach Andrea Fuentes yanked her mask down and dove, fully clothed, into the pool to rescue her.