Artistic  Swimming, 

"Ballet in the water"  or Artistic Swimming?

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A little bit of history

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The origins of the sport date back to the early 1920’s, when a group of Canadian women, led by water polo player and diver, Margaret Seller, developed what they called ‘ornamental swimming’ from lifesaving and swimming techniques.  Rules were then established and the first competitions took place. 

 

Synchronised Swimming was first demonstrated at the Olympics in 1952 and has been a recognised Olympic sport since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

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It used to be that only female athletes could participate, but men are becoming increasing involved, competing in mixed teams. 

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Artistic swimming routines are essentially

a series of athletic movements performed in water and choreographed to music.

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Synchronised Swimming is growing in importance as a sport both in the UK and internationally - it was one of the first events to sell out at the Olympic Games held in London in 2012.  When tested and compared with other Olympic athletes the results showed that synchro swimmers ranked second only to long distance runners in aerobic capacity and to gymnasts in flexibility.

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Competitive synchro swimmers must gain many skills to succeed; this includes strength, stamina, flexibility, breath control, timing, grace, and expressiveness.  During routines, swimmers may not touch the bottom of the pool.  

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In July 2017 FINA, the global governing body, renamed Synchronised Swimming as

Artistic Swimming.

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